Life is Unexpected
by Lost soul
Summary: Previously Life is Unexcpeting. NEW CHAPTER UP. The Animorphs come back from the ead and find themselves in Andalite bodies, deep in Kelbrid Space. Could this be the start of another intergalactic war? And can the Animorphs find a way back to human form
1. Chapter One: Cassie

_A/N Let me know how you like it. Thanks. Came to me while I was in the bathtub._

**Chapter One:** Cassie

It would be five years tomorrow. Five years since I had received news on Jake, Tobias, Marco, and what was left of Ax, dying. And how much longer before that had Rachel died on the Blade Ship. And how much longer for the innocent victims I had killed during the war?

I knew the date exactly. I would remember it for the rest of my life. It was by chance that the date also would mark the date of my wedding. Almost comical. Such a happy day mixed with one that wasn't.

How news had reached the Andalite fleet of the broken ships, I would never guess. Why Ronnie had stood by my side through all the chaos of organizing a memorial for the Animorphs, I might have a chance of figuring out. Why I had say yes when Ronnie asked me to marry him.......that would remain a mystery to me forever.

He wasn't Jake. But he provided a comfort level Jake wasn't allowed to offer while fighting the war. A place that he couldn't find after Tom and Rachel's deaths. I needed that comfort level. I wanted to stay there. Ronnie would never understand what I had been through and never would; but he tried. I admired that. I could spend the rest of my life with a guy that just tries to make me happy. But he never would be Jake, and I wouldn't let that fact slip my mind.

I went to bed the night before my wedding, looking at a picture of Rachel and I before the war had started. We were at Rachel's house. I couldn't help but start to tear up. We were so naïve then. We were so sure that we were going to group up together, double date. She would drag me to shop for my wedding dress. It never occurred to us that we would run into Jake at the mall. It never occurred to us that we would see so much pain, go through so much suffering, and eventually be split up; Rachel would go where I couldn't, and I would remain here.

But I would never again cry an endless river of tears for her. I had moved on. I wouldn't forget her, her bravery, her friendship, but she would have yelled at me until no end if I spent the rest of my life wondering what happened to her.

I rolled over in my bed. I was at my parent's house. Ronnie and I decided to go along with the whole 'don't-see-the-bride/groom-before-the-wedding' thing. I didn't mind it. It would let me just finally let go of the strands of my old life, and just go on with my new one. It would let me just say goodbye to my friends for a final time.

There was only one way I could ever do that and be please with myself.

I pulled my covers off, and stood up beside my bed. I opened my window to let the soft breeze of the night to run over me, and almost through me. I stood in my pajamas, and I quickly changed into my morphing suit.

And for a brief moment, it felt like the old times. That we were going to meet up and go on some mission that Marco would dub 'insane' and 'stupid'.

It made me smile. And while I closed my eyes to form the picture in my mind, I kept that smile.

The first thing that happened was the wing patterns. Pencil-like sketches formed across my arms, down my legs, all over my face. I watched as they bubbled up-wards, become 3-D patterns, finally taking the shape and color of the brown and gray feathers of an owl. My arms then snapped backwards, forming the V-like wing joint of the owl. My fingers shriveled up and disappeared, become flight feather. I shrunk rapidly to the ground, watching as my feet twisted and turned, become the wicked talons of the night creature. My insides formed disgusting sounds as they shaped and reformed, my eyesight became suddenly acute to the darkness, peering at it like it was day.

I always had been a quick morpher, and I had just made the transition from human to owl in less than two and a half minutes. The night looked welcoming, and I hopped up onto my window sill. I looked down at the ground.

I knew that, as I flew from my window, Tobias would complain about me being an owl. He had hated and respected them. He was of the day; they were of the night.

So many memories went through my head at that moment. I'm not sure how to explain it. I saw the construction site, the yeerk pool, my friends, the different aliens we'd run into, and so many more things. It was like having a video tape of my life going through my head, but someone had hit the 'fast forward' button.

I flew in reverie. I didn't need to pay attention to the ground below, or the sky ahead. I had made this trip many times. I didn't need to look. I knew the way very well. Instead of concentrating on flying, I just laughed and cried some at all the memories that I caught a glimpse of.

As I flew up to the graveyard, I pulled out of my thought. I saw Rachel's memorial, and right next to it I saw another one. One for the Animorphs. I guess they government felt the need to keep everyone together. I liked that a lot. They should be together. That's how we came in to this war; together. That's how we should leave it; together.

I landed and demorphed, and I felt the wind hit me worse than it had in my room. My teeth chattered, and I remembered spending some time, way up north. That made me a considerable amount warmer. I just sat down and looked at the memorials. I knew that I had to say something, just to let them know that I loved them. But what did you say to a stone statue, merely a mimic of the people that you loved more than you could explain?

I looked up to the sky. It was a clear night out. The stars shone brightly. The stars that would never hold the same meaning since that walk through the construction site. In the sky, I saw a small light. I thought it was a plane, and dismissed it. But then, I looked again, and it was getting bigger.

A picture formed in my head. We were at the mall. The five of us. I saw Jake. Marco. Tobias. Rachel. Me. I heard the words. I watched us walk out of the mall. Through the construction site. Elfangor's fighter...

The light grew ever larger, and it was clear it was going to land near me.

_They have come to destroy you..._

Ever closer the ship came, and I didn't move. I felt a familiarity in the situation. We were all there, except, not really. In reality it was just me.

Jake disappeared inside the Andalite fighter, and came out with the blue box. We all touched it...

The ship landed, and I recognized it at once for what it was. The tail-like thing at the end gave it away. An Andalite fighter ship. Only it was different than Elfangor's. Not by much, but different.

Visser Three landed. Elfangor told us to run. To hide. To fight...

The hatch opened and out stepped an Andalite. Even after all these years of dealing with them, their grace and agility still amazed me completely. I watched as he morphed to human. To give me a more familiar sight? I hoped not. I had seen my share of Andalites.

The images stopped in my head. Stopped right when Visser Three chased us up the yeerk pool stairs. I was in horse morph when I stopped my memories.

The Andalite walked up to me, and stood in front of me. He seemed to glow because of the lights in the fighter. He made a bowing motion. Then, with his main eyes focused on me, he said, "You are Cassie."

I nodded.

"My name is Farangal-Lestil-Sharm. I am an Andalite scientist. I need you to come with me."

No other thoughts would come to my head until later. I forgot about my wedding. I forgot about Ronnie. I forgot about all the deaths. I forgot all the fear. I was living in the past that had come to life before me. Such a familiar sight.

"Why do you need me to come with you?" I asked. I wasn't scared, and I wasn't concerned. I just asked it to make sure I didn't look like a zombie right then.

"I believe," he replied, "that questions are not to be asked until after the debriefing. If you would, please join me immediately aboard my fighter." He smiled the andalite smile, and added, "Princess Cassie."

_A/N Sorry. Hi. Me. I'm going back and editing these chapters. I know it's been awhile since I got on Fanfic...they've got this edit thing now! YAY! ._


	2. Chapter Two: Cassie

_A/N Sorry for the wait. School decided to a BIG pain right after my first chapter. Thanks for reviewing reviewers!_

**Chapter Two:** Cassie

I boarded the ship, and suddenly I couldn't remember my life. I ignored every bit of normalcy I could get out of my life since the Animorphs.

I followed the scientist, who remained in human morph. I normally wouldn't have inquired anything, but in the deaths' of my friends, I felt as if apart of them had become apart of me.

"Why does an andalite scientist have his own fighter?" I asked, Ax's curiosity burning in me.

"Because," Farangal answered, "I was originally training to be a pilot in the war against the yeerks, but you animorphs destroyed the bulk of the yeerk fleet and people. The amount andalite forces needed to complete the job decreased drastically. And when the last of the yeerks were killed in Kelbrid space, the amount of fighters need to protect our kind, as well as humans, went down further. I wasn't allowed to stay in the military since it wasn't necessary for me to be there. I was forced to take on a different job...a scientist. I was on the home world when I discovered something...something big. I stole a fighter and found you."

"An unauthorized mission?" I continued.

He led me down a small corridor where a giant window has a cloth blocking me from seeing through it. This was the largest part of the ship. The control area was barely big enough for two, full grown andalites, and his sleeping quarters/storage were on the opposite side of the window. All were small. Whatever stood behind this window was something to be shown to me.

"Not completely unauthorized," Farangal replied with a sly grin.

"Okay," I replied hesitantly. "Why did you call me 'princess' Cassie?"

Farangal looked embarrassed. "Aximilli was a prince to my kind. He was praised for his actions, but not you five. You gave up your human youth to save the galaxy, and you didn't receive enough recognition, or at least to me you didn't. You deserve to be at the prince level, but to females on your planet, it's princess."

I felt honored to say the least. How could I not with a guy who thought I deserved to a princess?

One more question and then I would let him show me what he wanted to show me. I could see him itching in his spot.

"Why don't you demorph?"

"For space purposes," Farangal answered simply. "You might find it simpler if I explain what I discovered in human form. It's not nearly as easy to say the complicated words and terms I'm about to say with the human mouth." He moved towards a button on the wall.

Time seemed to freeze. I knew whatever he was about to say was going to be important. I also knew that my life would never be the same for a second time. Running into an andalite fighter never seemed to spell out the word 'normal' anymore. So, I readjusted my feet, and looked back up at Farangal. He looked ready to speak.

"When you animorphs foiled the yeerks, you lost Rachel, Jake's cousin," Farangal began. I was surprised how he knew all of our names, and I was also surprised by the affection and honor for each of us that he displayed in his voice. "The blade ship wondered in orbit, as you know, for a year or so until Prince Aximilli discovered it along with his team. The body discovered with the blade ship was identified by you and Rachel's mother as Rachel. We andalites, of course, helped with the burial. I was one of the andalites stationed on earth for research of plants and animals, and was quickly reassigned to help with the burial. I was also one of the few familiar with human cremation. I managed to spend a few minutes alone with what was left of Rachel, and may I be forgiven, collected some of her DNA samples, as well as what was left of her brain."

I was shocked to say the least. I thought I was going to fall over from the sudden onslaught of this reality. Amazing. Fantastic, really. This information wasn't known to anyone for all of these years, and now I knew.

"I didn't just harvest them for the mere harvesting, let me reassure," Farangal went on. "I had a purpose in mind. An idea I had only began to touch on back on the home world before I was sent to Earth. What if you could take the biological remnants of a creature and some how reincarnate it into another form? I hadn't gotten the chance because I wasn't allowed to work with the dead back on my home world, but it was a golden opportunity on earth with Rachel."

My heart leaped. Reincarnated? Rachel? Alive? How? In what form? So many questions began to race through my mind.

"Of course, I didn't let any of the humans realize what I had done," Farangal quickly continued, excitement mounting in his voice. "I stored the harvested parts into a safe container until I would be relocated back to the Andalite world where I could further work with my samples.

"Then, to much surprise, within a month of Rachel's burial, I was sent back to my home world. I immediately began work in the laboratory, mostly at night to conceal my assumptions. I worked on someone connecting the DNA pattern with that of another body, of using the remnants of her brain so that somehow it could be recharged and brought back to life by electrons firing. It was hard and tiring work. I had to figure out what body to use, how to use it, what sort of results could I expect? So, as I worked on those questions, each one slowly but surely working out, I was ready to test my hypothesis. But, of course, I couldn't risk my samples from Rachel. So, against the law, in the darkness of night, I crept into the _Drow_, the andalite holding area for the dead. I collected my samples from a few andalites, as well as stole one of the dead bodies all together."

Once again, I was stunned by his boldness, his willingness to disobey his people and values to work on his theory. How would this all come together, I wondered.

"And, in argument of my customs, I proceeded to test. The first time it was a failure, so I made some readjustments in the DNA pattern. The second time failed as well, so I readjusted the connection of the brain to the spine. The third time I got a spark of life, but then it died away. The fourth time I managed to get the andalite to talk to me, and retain knowledge of its life for fifteen seconds, and then it died. Every other time after that was a matter of getting the being to stay with me just a little bit longer, and each time I did that, I managed to decrease the chance of the person remembering anything of themselves. I didn't know what to do. I had no where else to go, and my fellow scientists were beginning to wonder what I was doing in the lab at night. I reached a dead end for the first time in years.

"By this time, I was already forming another theory to top my already existing one. What if the person's will power, the essence of a person, had something to do with the knowledge retained? The stronger the will power, the more the person wanted to stay living, the more knowledge he or she could remember? If this was correct, than the memories that Rachel had, her ordeals, her untimely death seemed the most promising aspect of my experiment thus far, except for getting the idea to work."

I imagined how hard it must have been for Farangal to put this all together. He was but telling me a little of the story, I could only begin to guess how much more had gone into this process, and I could only being to guess what this had in store for my life. I remained silent.

"Then, at almost the same time I was developing a new theory and a new test, word came in from the high command of a yeerk craft entering from Z-space towards the home world, and our guarding domeships. When the military went to explore it, they discovered bodies."

I knew who the bodies belonged to.

"They were 5 humans, and a bird...a hawk to be more exact," Farangal said. "I was allowed to examine them as I had worked with Rachel, and I seized my opportunity again. But not all the humans. Just two of them...and the hawk. I harvested only from Jake, Marco, and Tobias.

"Then, within 24 hours of this ship, came another ship. Another yeerk craft. Inside were more humans, and an unidentified creature. We ran tests, and the base DNA for the thing was Aximilli's. I took samples, both for the science world and my own purposes. Once I had all my samples it didn't take me long to collect the rest of the bodies I needed, and to get the mind's working properly. When I had this completed, I then proceeded to steal, hide a fighter, custom redesign it, and get it off the home world within twelve hours. It was a hard time, but I knew I had to leave quickly. Once I got into orbit, I was nearly stopped by a domeship, but I quickly put on the thrusters and entered Z-space, which had transfigured close to my planet. I used Z-space to get to earth, and then I found you by sheer luck. See, I knew I had to find the remaining animorph for this moment. Only one other could share this moment with me."  
  
Farangal pressed the button and the cloth revealed five andalites. I gasped, and put my hand up to the glass, directly in front of the one in the center. I had to resist to urge to cry...and the urge to call the andalite 'Jake'.

_A/N Hi. Announcement to say that this is an edited chapter. CHAPTER THREE IS IN THE PROGRESS! Ever get that writer's block where you know exactly what you want, but you can't rush it? yadda? Erm...okay. Does anyone know how to upload thoughtspeak quotes?? FANFIC WON'T LET ME!!_


	3. Chapter Three: Cassie

A/N Sorry for the wait. Actually, I didn't know that people were interested in my story, but I had a sudden burst to write and a plot movement in my head, and boy, I'm excited. Sorry again for the slowness.

**Chapter Three:** Cassie

Farangal put his human arm on my shoulder. I turned to look at him difficultly. He had recreated my friends. I could feel the resemblance loitering in the air. My eyes refused to move from the five andalites cooped up behind a single piece of glass.

"There is no guarantee that they will remember who they used to be," Farangal spoke softly. "But I have done the best that I can. They will have new life, new appearances, and will have the ability to morph if you'll allow me to activate them. They won't have the same morphs that they had as a human. In fact, no morphs at all. They would have to start over if they decided to morph, and would have to acquire the creatures DNA."

"Why?" I asked in return to his statement. "Why bring them back? The galaxy is at a virtual stand-still. The yeerks are gone. Why would the animorphs need to be reunited?"

"I wouldn't do it without your consent," he said quickly, and quietly. With my gaze not diverted from him, Farangal sighed and looked down. "I do not know why. For you to be together, I suppose. It was important to me that you be together. All my friends died in battle with the yeerks, my family as well. I cannot bring closure for myself. I want to provide a goodbye, a chance at goodbye that I will never have."

I could sense a lump in his throat, as he tried to hold back his tears. It must have been a very human emotion for him to feel, something that he wasn't used to. I threw my hands around his shoulders, in tears. "I'm sorry about your friends and family," I whispered. "But thank you for them." I meant my friends. "It's the nicest, more selfless thing anyone has ever done for me."

And yet, in the back of my mind, something didn't feel right about the whole situation. Something in the back of my mind said that the dead should stay dead, no matter how much they were missed. Marco would have scoffed it off as one of my morals and ethics. But maybe, this time, even he would see my view for a change. But, as always, didn't both of us have our points for thinking the way we did?

"You...you could give them new life?" I managed despite my thoughts. I wanted reassurance to overcome my morals. To maybe, once in my life, prove that Marco was right. "You could give them a new body, for sure?" I was awed and disgusted at the same time. I wanted my friends back, but now that it was possible, did I still want it? Was it the right thing to do?

Again, Marco's voice was ringing in my ears. I should stop worrying myself over all the 'moral crap.' What I should worry about is living to see tomorrow. To win against the Yeerks...

No, no. That wasn't right. The war with the Yeerks was over. We had won a long time ago. And I had learned that there was no victory without cost. No freedom without sacrifice...

"An electrical charge to the hearts would case them to beat again. I have supplied each body with blood in what humans call a 'blood transfusion'..." Farangal's voice, far off, obviously past telling me that it was all right about what had happened to the ones he held dear. Telling me that it was in the past. He had now moved on to explaining how the process worked.

I was going to move with my life. Marry Ronnie. Jake, Rachel...they were all dead. They had been dead for years. They had died to save earth, to keep it save, to keep humans free. There was something definitely wrong about bringing them back. They died a long time ago. They weren't coming back. And because of their deaths, they weren't of this world anymore. They galaxy didn't need them. They had done their part. They should stay dead...

The galaxy didn't need them, but I _did_.

"I haven't yet tested them," Farangal stated. "This may or may not work. The bodies may jolt to life, but the memories may not come. It's anyone's guess. I created a scientific field. This is all new and preliminary, of course..."

_The dead stay dead, Cassie..._

"And, if I may say now so that you know, if it works, I'll have to write a report on my findings, give it to the scientific community, and then possibly be executed for disturbing the dead..."

Maybe if I were Marco, or even Tobias or Ax, I would have seen the clear path from A to B. I would have told Farangal to not do it. There were consequences to actions like this, consequences to dealing with space time and filling out the God role. I knew from my dealings with the Ellimist, what he had showed me. But, my path was fogged with grief and turmoil. By pain and death. By the weight of the world.

Jack back...

Rachel back...

All of them...

If the others were there to make the decision, we would have put it to a vote. They would have told me that I weren't acting like myself if I went through with it, if I had voted yes. But they weren't there. They were dead. I had spent a better part of the years trying to grasp with that term, always playing out events as they were happen if the Animorphs were together again, if they were all alive. I had never really let go. They were dead. They were, until possibly now. I only had me...

I turned to Farangal after turning away from him to gaze at the Andalite bodies to think. I gazed into his human eyes and asked, "How long from the time that you fire up the electricity to the time they wake up, so to speak?"

He thought a moment. "Well, of course, you must understand that first I would have to attach several wires to each body. And with me needing so much electricity to give life, I couldn't do it from the ground of earth, or even near earth, because of all the interference, with your cell phones and televisions and such. Then, seeing how it's much powerful than the human version of electricity...I'd say approximately ten of your minutes."

"'Ten of your minutes,'" I quoted, a broad smile appearing across my face. Yes, I had missed that. With that single memory of Ax's speech patterns on earth, came every other happy memory during my time with the Animorphs. No, the fog had completely covered the path so that I thought I had reached the second point. My voice was hysterically happy for the first time in forever it seemed. I suppose, the last time I had been truly happy was back during the war. I hadn't even been happy working with the Hork Bajir in the national forest. No, I suppose that it was back when Jake had told me that we could be together after the war. Now that he could come back, it was possible.

"Let's do it," I told Farangal. "Let's go into space and see what happens."

I could say that he looked shocked. He was an andalite, and human emotions were a foreign thing to him. Farangal wasn't concerned with my thoughts and morals. Well, maybe a little. Maybe he had been sincere about supplying me with a goodbye to my friends, but I had known Andalites too long. Farangal was probably doing this to see if it could be done, as a sort of something that he could put into all of higher-ups that kicked him out of the academy, just to say that he was worth something. I had a strange feeling that he would have gone ahead and done it anyway.

No, instead, Farangal looked back towards the five andalites protected behind glass. My gaze followed him. This time, I saw a single more curtain in the back of the Andalites. I hadn't seen it before. I wondered what it might be, what this Andalite scientist might be hiding in the back. Farangal must have noticed that I was gazing beyond on my friends and at something, probably by my leaning towards the glass more. He grabbed my arm, and asked politely: "Follow me to the helm, Princess Cassie?" 

My mind wondered what was happening with this andalite. And, I was putting suspicious activities together, slowly. The fact that he had disturbed the dead in an effort to save the Animorphs, he had gone against Andalite tradition, that was a bit odd. And the fact that he didn't want me looking at what were supposed to be my friends or anything back there worried me some. I felt my old self come back into play with me poking at odd behaviors, but it wasn't enough to make me change my decision. It wasn't enough to make me think otherwise.

"Of course," I managed a smile, and then followed him to the front of the ship, where he proceeded to fire up the Andalite fire, and I felt the engine roar to life below me. I wondered why he wanted me up front with him, probably to keep me in his site. He must have thought that I might try morphing and getting beyond the glass to see the Andalites closer. He must have wanted to keep me and my friends safe. Or, maybe, to keep me from seeing what was behind the veil. I tried not to worry about it. If the Andalite wanted me dead, he could easily do it before I could morph. He had shredders aboard the ship.

The ship powered away, and I watched as Farangal made the front screen transparent, and not for the first time, I saw Earth slip away below me and I slipped into space. I could still see remains of Yeerk crafts sitting in orbit. There was the space junk from the world's space travels that had been much improved thanks to technology from the Andalites. And, after what seemed like forever, we stopped. It was time to give my friends a new life.

Farangal powered won the ship, and looked at me with intent eyes. He must have been an hour in morph by now. He must have been worried about coming too close to the time limit. He looked at me, and asked,  
  
"Did you want to be an andalite like your friends?"

The question caught me completely off guard. My mouth dropped open, and I stuttered my words. "I-I-I guess...I mean...sure...that is..." I stopped myself, and shook my head. "No. No. I want to be human. And my friends can become human again if they wanted to."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" He asked, almost as a concerned parent would ask when their child asks to sign up for a soccer season. "The creations will not be able to morph their old bodies. They would not look the same, that is to say. They would have different bodies. And if they chose to stay that way, they couldn't morph again, and they might hold grudges against you. They might not even want to morph human once they are in an Andalite body. You might end up being cast away from the group because you aren't Andalite. You're sure?"

I studied him, puzzled. He had used the word creations to describe my friends. He spoke as if he wanted me to be an Andalite. He gave me all the bad points of view in being a human while my friends were Andalites. But, then again, I couldn't see any positives from the situation. I would be the alien, like Ax was. But, my friends would still be human at mind.

"Yes..." I said, taking a step back from him worried. "I want to be human."

He sighed, frustrated suddenly. "I didn't want to have to do this. I really did respect you Cassie. And I'm sorry I had to do this. One day, maybe when you wake up, you'll put the pieces together. Maybe, one day, you'll find the file..."

I was confused. What was he going to do?

And then, without my knowledge, I saw Farangal's fist come and collide with my face. I slipped into darkness, and didn't feel when I hit the floor of the Andalite fighter.


	4. Chapter Four: Cassie

_A/N: **EDIT** -- from now on, the usual thought speak quotations will be substituted with ( ) because I can upload those and not the others. If there are any problems, let me know. If there are any questions as to plot movement, please address them. I'd like to catch them early before I go to far and can't change them._

**Chapter Four: Cassie**

I jolted awake with a sudden realization that I couldn't explain. As soon as I became conscious, I remembered being knocked out by Farangal, so I opened my eyes looking for him, desperate to know what happened, looking for trouble.

I opened all _four _eyes.

The human mind could barely comprehend seeing in all directions at once. I became confused, disoriented. I panicked and began to kick my hooves, trying to stand up. I was on my side on a hard floor. It was smooth and slick beneath the purple fur that belonged to a female Andalite. Where was I?

Suddenly, a cold blade was pressed against my throat. I stopped moving so that I wouldn't be killed. A voice entered my head. (You will not move, or I will kill you.)

The thought-speak! It was different, yet somehow familiar. I felt my hearts begin to be faster as I twisted my stalk eyes to look in the direction of the Andalite who had me trapped on the floor. (Ax?) I spoke hesitantly.

The Andalite's main eyes widened, but soon returned to normal. Obviously he was trained to handle difficult situations. The blade went a bit tighter to my neck. (Who are you?)

(It's me,) I croaked, hardly able to believe any of it. The fact that he demanded my name meant I was right. Somehow, someway, I was right. (It's Cassie.)

There was a moment of silence as I stared up at the Andalite who I believed to be Ax, completely at his mercy. I squinted my stalk eyes a bit, concerned as to whether or not I was right, concerned if it was Ax and the other Andalite stared back at me with an unreadable face. Then, a new voice from another part of the room I was in gently commanded (Let her up, Ax.)

The blade was taken away, and I felt my hearts beat fast. I somehow managed to climb upright in the Andalite body that was awkward to me. I had never been an Andalite before, but I didn't care. After I had managed to stand up, I was staring into the main eyes of someone familiar, yet completely different.

(Jake?) I managed softly.

He spread his arms as if to display himself in the Andalite body. (More or less,) he answered. (It's good to see you Cassie.)

It was all so human, the emotions, the words, the simple actions. I looked around the room. It was a bit crammed, but there were five other Andalite bodies. Oh, god, they were all alive! All of them! Words couldn't express my joy. There was a stab of pain that was happiness. I reached out with the delicate Andalite hand and touched Jake on the side of the face. He felt warm under my touch. He was real. This wasn't a dream.

(We were wondering where our fantastic sixth member was,) Marco said dryly from where he was standing.

I pulled my hand away, still staring intently at Jake. (It worked,) I whispered. (Farangal actually did it.)

There was a moment of silence again, and then Jake took a small step towards me. He took my hands into his. (Did what?)

(He…he was an Andalite scientist,) I answered. (He was a warrior against the Yeerks, but when the war was over he became a scientist.)

(Ax? Have you ever heard of this guy?)

(No, Prince Jake,) Ax answered. (It is unlikely seeing as I was one Earth up to the end of the war, and then stayed in the military afterwards.)

(But, he…he, uh, came to me,) I continued. (He told me that he had perfected the process of putting a brain into a new body after its first body had died. He said that he could bring you all back.)

(Back from what?) Tobias asked.

I didn't answer right away, and I diverted my gaze from Jake and the others, staring at the floor. (From the dead,) I eventually said. (You all were dead…and I guess he brought you back.)

(Wait, this Farangal did this to us!) Rachel raged. (When I get my hands on him…)

But Jake interrupted. (If we were dead, why did you want us back?)

I understood what he was asking. I was Cassie, the girl with a conscious. Why would I agree to this? (I needed you,) I admitted. (I needed you.)

(Yes, but if you were alive, why are you in the body of an Andalite?) Ax inquired.

I would have smiled if I had a mouth. Trust Ax to jump to the heart of the problem. And then I realized the severity of the question he was asking. (I…I don't know,) I truthfully responded. (But, Farangal knocked me out. I can't remember why, but he did. And I woke up here.)

It was all so strange. We were all back together again. We were a team again, and I couldn't even remember the fact that they had been dead, that I had gone to their funerals, the memorial services. It was like it was just all a bad nightmare. The past years had just been a bad dream, and we were given a second chance. There we were. The Animorphs were on another adventure, in another strange situation, and we were working together again. I didn't care that Farangal might have betrayed me. I was just happy to have them all back.

(It seems obvious this Farangal betrayed, Cassie,) Ax said. (His intentions in bringing us back and putting Cassie into the body of an Andalite are still unknown.)

(Ax is right,) Jake said. (We need to figure this out. We need to find this guy, figure out why he did this to us. We need to find a way to get back to earth.)

(Yeah, and I need to find a way to get back to my cute, loveable self,) Marco added.

(Marco,) Rachel said, (you were never cute or loveable.)

I ignored their antics. Now I had questions that needed to be answered. (Where are we?) I looked around. I saw control panels. I saw buttons that lit up. There was something that might have passed for a computer screen.

(Ax says we're on some kind of andalite ship,) Jake answered. He shrugged. (All I know is that there are places for us to sleep in the back and some food to keep us alive for a few months at least.)

I looked towards the back. There was a hallway.( Wait, I recognize this ship. This was Farangal's ship. This was the place where he did the transplant and brought you guys back to life.) I turned towards Jake. (He might still be on the ship!)

He shook his head. (No, we looked around. We had to make sure we weren't going to be ambushed. But after that, we waited to see who the Andalite was on the floor, to see if she had answers.) He smiled an Andalite smile. (And she did.)

Suddenly, there was a loud beeping coming from the computer in the front. Ax was closest to the consol. His fingers became busy at the controls. (Computer, transparent,) he barked out.

The front of the ship became transparent, and I looked out and saw billions of stars. But, even more intriguing than the stars were the three ships that were surrounding ours. Ax turned one of his stalk eyes back towards us. (Prince Jake, we are surrounded.)

(What? By who?) Rachel demanded.

Ax didn't answer at first. He worked some more at the controls. I guess he was looking for answers. (I have accessed the computer information. These ships match the description of a particular alien race.)

(What one?) Jake asked.

(Kelbrid.)

Jake took a few deep breaths.

(Prince Jake, I don't feel the need to remind you of the circumstances between Andalites and Kelbrids?)

(No,) Jake answered. He stepped towards the controls. He placed his hand on a joystick type thing that I assumed were the weapons. (I'll take the weapons. If they want a fight, we'll give it to them.)

(We're not Andalites,) Marco said.

A lone stalk eye swiveled to meet his best friend's eye. (Marco, we know that. But, have you looked in a mirror lately? The Kelbrids don't know that.)

(How would the ship know what a Kelbrid ship look like?) Tobias asked. (I mean, I thought the Andalites didn't know anything regarding what the Kelbrids looked like. And I thought we were in an Andalite ship, so something doesn't add up.)

(I agree,) Ax said. (But, it seems obvious that this Farangal might have something regarding to intelligence about the Kelbrids.)

(Are you saying he set us up?) I asked.

But, Ax didn't answer. Instead, he shouted, (The ships are preparing to fire!)


	5. Chapter Five: Cassie

_A/N -- I've had a really awesome inspiration, so I give you another chapter within 48 hours. It's really an accomplishment for me. But, seriously, if any readers are confused, let me know. And...other than that, I promise you'll understand the Farangal thing very soon. _

_A very speical BIG thanks to _Brutal2003_ who is my biggest reviewer. I really appreciate your comments and encouragement when I just didn't feel like writing. And another big thanks to the other reviewers:_ Early, Brittany, Meethrill, animorph19, itsirk, Falcon, Tayk, Birdie num num, Magorian, lilmisgenetic, KC Kee, JediMaster16, genies9,_ and_ Hikari Kaiya_. All of your thoughts, comments, and critics are most welcome. I'm actually really, really thrilled that I'm actually writing a story on this site that some people actually enjoy. _

**Chapter Five: Cassie**

I watched the ships for the first time now. They were strange. It was like they were giant eggs or something. And on the back they had a hook that was shaped like a question mark. At the end of the hook, a red light began to flicker, and I could only guess that it was the weapons of the Kelbrid ship beginning to fire. I didn't know what to do. If we were going to survive the attack, it was up to Ax and Jake.

(Ax, I can't take out all of these guys!) Jake warned. (I might be able to take out two if I'm lucky, but we're still gonna be hit!)  
(We may have but one chance, Prince Jake,) Ax warned. (If I drop the fighter below them, power the engines to their fullest, I might be able to find a pocket of zero-space…)  
(Do it!) Jake yelled, his Andalite hands attentively fingering the weapons.

The red light began to flicker brighter. I knew that I wouldn't feel anything once we were hit. There might be a brief second of pain, but it wouldn't last long. I would see a flash, the impact would kill me, and if it didn't, the vacuum of space would. I couldn't find any breath.

The engines began to make a funny noise, like a gurgling sound, but I felt a new energy flow through the ship. I looked down at my hooves and the floor, then back towards Ax. He was still busy at the control panel. There was an odd panic, one that was almost clam. Ax turned a stalk eye towards us.  
(Brace yourselves,) he said with his Andalite calm.

I wasn't sure how to brace myself. I was in a new body, one that I had never had any experience in, and I wasn't sure how a sudden drop in space followed by a sudden jetting forward was going to affect me. I felt a hand on my back. I turned my head, a human reaction; I forgot that I didn't have to turn my head to see anymore. I saw a male Andalite.

(Cassie, get back here,) Marco said. (We don't want to get in the way of our fearless leader and Ax.)

I backed toward the other three, and it was obviously that us huddled together could be potentially dangerous, especially with our new-found tail blades. I tucked my tail close to the ground, near the wall. The others saw and did the same. I reached out my right hand. Rachel was next to me. She and I embraced each other's hand, and I thought I would break down. We were just beginning our second chance, and we were all going to die again.

The red flash was bright now, and, in an almost slow motion, I saw all of the ships fire their red beam at once. And I watched as all of them formed a circle and were headed straight for our ship. But, just at that moment, the ship dropped below them, and I felt one of my hearts lift in my chest. Luckily, Andalite ships had some sort of mechanism that dampened any sort of motion, or else we'd all be near the ceiling. I saw a bright flash come from above the ship as all of the beams focused on the spot where we had just been.

(Engines, full power!) Ax commanded. I managed a brief thought. He really had become a great pilot and prince.

The ship flew forward, and I felt a brief sensation that I should have been pushed against the back wall. But the Andalite body and ship were better prepared for that motion than my human existence had ever been.

(Nice flying Ax-man!) Tobias congratulated.

(We are not safe yet, Tobias,) Ax said, sighing in our heads (The Kelbrid seem to possess greater technical advances. Though it isn't much greater, they will still be able to trace us and find us.)

The ship slowed, and Ax gave us the news that no ships were being picked up by our ship's sensors. I breathed for the first time since I saw the red beams being powered. I let go of Rachel's hand.

(Can we hide from them?) Jake asked.

(I do not believe so, Prince Jake.)

(Don't call me prince,) Jake said wearily. (Or else I'm gonna start calling you prince.)

(So, we're dead, and come back to find ourselves in Andalite bodies, thanks to some Andalite scientist whose intentions could be a bit obscured,) Rachel ranted, (and now we're in Kelbrid space, where we are most likely going to die.) She placed her hands on her side, where her human hips would have been. (Well, you know what? I am _not_ dying a second time.)

(No,) Jake agreed. (No one is going to die. We just need to figure out how to make ourselves safer than we are at this moment.)

(Can we use some form of holographic technology to hide the ship momentarily?) Tobias asked. (That is, until we figure out just how far we are from some part of space that is safe for Andalites to be in?)  
(I believe that is possible,) Ax said. (But, in order for our ship to not be picked up by energy readings, I would need to shut down just everything but life support and the basic lighting and gravity.)

(Do it,) Jake said. (It'll buy us a bit of time.)

I closed my main eyes and lowered my head. How was I supposed to know that Farangal was going to put us in Kelbrid space? I felt like it was all my fault. If I had just stayed home, waited for my wedding, I wouldn't be here, having my friends face death a second time. Now all I had were questions, and no answers. Why did Farangal betray me? Why did he want me to be an Andalite? Why Kelbrid space? There were so many 'whys' I wanted answered, and I didn't think they ever would be.

Jake walked up to me and took my hand in his. (Cassie,) he said privately. (This isn't your fault. It's Farangal's fault. He put us here. You didn't know.)

(No, but I didn't have to agree to bring you back,) I returned.

(He might have done it anyway,) Jake said. (Have you ever thought that he was going to do this with or without you?)

I had, but I didn't tell Jake that. Instead, I just remained silent. I should have listened to Jake. There were some positive things with this situation. I had my friends again, and we had cheated death so many times. We should have been able to do this again. But once you watch and hear about your friends dying, you can't help but have doubts as to whether or not they can do it again.

Jake put his free hand under my chin and lifted up my head. (We need you right now,) he said gently. (You're the only one who can give us some answers, ideas as to what is happening right now. Don't lose it on me.)

(I won't,) I responded, reassured by his voice, his gentle touch with me once again.

It felt like old times. Before Rachel had died. Before Tom had died. Before the war had ended. Jake was having a second chance to prove himself, and I knew he was trying his hardest to be the person he knew I wanted him to be. I pulled myself together. If I failed, that meant that Jake would feel like he had failed again. And I didn't want him to go through that pain a second time. I wanted him to heal.

(Prince Jake,) Ax interrupted. (We are receiving a transmission.)

(Um…) Jake spoke hesitantly, turning back towards him. (I'm sorry, but I'm not big on technical terms. What's a transmission?)

(A message.)

(Oh,) Jake said. (Well, then, put it through.)

A face appeared on the screen. It was a human face, and I was taken back. Then, I realized that some of the Yeerks had escaped with human hosts, but it was still strange to be looking at a human this far in space. It was a man; he appeared to be middle-aged, with the typical brown hair, brown eyes. He had a small smile.

"Andalites trapped in Kelbrid space?" He managed a small laugh. "How did the almighty Andalites manage this?"

Jake wasn't interested in the fluff of the conversation. (Who are you, and what do you want?)

The man shook his head. "I'm surprised. Really, I am. I thought that the Andalites would remember their old foes. I thought for sure that the Andalites would remember the Yeerks."

For a moment, none of us spoke or looked at each other. We were just amazed to be standing face to face, virtually, with the enemy that we had fought against for so long, that we had defeated. Jake came out of the reverie first. (What do you want?)

"The Kelbrids are more advanced that you. They are more advanced than even us Yeerks. I thought that you might want to know that they are not far behind you. I thought you might want to know that they can see through your hologram."

The picture of the man became smaller, and we could see the part of space before us. A ship came into view. It was unlike any ships that I had seen. (How do we know you're not just bluffing?) Jake asked.

"You could trust us and have sanctuary in our ship," the man said. "I promise not to kill you. Or, you can sit here and wait for the Kelbrids to show up and kill you."

There was a beeping from our computer. It sounded familiar, and Ax began to work once again at the controls. He turned both of his stalk eyes towards Jake. Obviously, whatever it was, it was serious.

(It is the Kelbrids,) he said. (And they appear to be closing in our position quickly.)

And for the first time in awhile, the Animorphs were forced to make a decision that would either place them at the mercy of their foe, or very possibly end up dead.


	6. Chapter Six: Marco

**Chapter Six: Marco**

I didn't trust the Yeerks. I don't think any of us did. But it was obvious that these Kelbrids weren't going to leave us alone. And from the news Cassie had just given us, I really didn't feel like dying again. I stepped forward, addressing Jake in private thought-speak so that the Yeerk wouldn't hear me.

(Jake, you know I really don't like this thought anymore than you do,) I said. (But I think we should take the Yeerk up on his offer.)

Jake nodded slightly, thoughtfully. (Yeah, I know. I don't think these Kelbrids are going to stop tracking us, either.) I watched as he twisted one stalk-eye towards the others. (Okay, guys, I'm going to agree with the Yeerk's offer. Everyone be on high-alert once we enter the ship.)

No one objected because no one saw any other way out of this mess. The only issue with going into a Yeerk craft now was the fact that we didn't have our morphs. The first thing I had tried when I became conscious in the back room was demorphing to human, until it became painfully obvious that I wasn't going to demorph. That was a horrible moment. For a split second, I was horrified, scared, angry. I didn't know what was going on, but all I knew was that I was stuck in an Andalite body. And then, Cassie told us about how we had died. And I knew that I wasn't ever going to be human again.

I guess, the hardest thing about it all at this moment in time, was the fact that I didn't remember dying. I remember Jake giving the order to ram the blade ship. I remembered powering the engines. I remembered actually colliding with the ship. But, dying? No, I didn't remember that. And now I was alive, in a body I wasn't used to. And I was about to put myself at the hands of one of the creatures that had caused my death.

Of course, this all made it very complicated. Once we were on the ship, we couldn't hide or escape by means of insect morphs, which had been our usual way of escaping. Now, I could only assume that we were morph capable, and our only hope of getting out would be to acquire the DNA of some personnel onboard. And now I was scared in a way I had never been before. I always had a fear of dying, but always came to terms with that to get the mission done. But, now I was going to be on the ship with the creatures that had helped to cause my death. And if they could kill me once, they could certainly kill me again.

(We accept your offer,) Jake said. I guess, now he was going to full-blown play the roll of an Andalite officer, which I guess was fine. I doubted that the Yeerks would expect to find the Animorphs out here in Kelbrid space, especially after we had died here. So, we didn't give them any information, except for the fact that somehow, Andalites had become lost in space, ending up in the very part of space that they weren't supposed to be in. And from the looks and sound of it, we were _way _far in.  
I guess we just had to hope that years in space would make the Yeerks clueless and wouldn't put two and two together. We had to hope that they didn't guess we weren't _really _Andalites.

"A wise decision," the man commended. "We shall now dock on your ship, and you shall be allowed to board with no fear of dying."

(He better keep his word,) Rachel warned, (or I'm gonna see what this blade really does.) She raised it a bit, poised for action, and then let it drop. (I can't believe that our survival is really going to rest on the word of a few slugs taking refuge in Kelbrid space.)

I watched through the computer consol as the Yeerk ship, similar design as all the rest, came rapidly closer to ours. (Well, if they're still out here in Kelbrid space, safe from the Andalites, they might still have hopes about restarting the war and their conquest.)

(We might be able to use it as an advantage,) Tobias suggested. (I mean, we might be able to trick them or something?)

(So long as we keep up our guise, maybe,) Jake warned, as I felt a slight rumble go through the ship, which was the Yeerks docking with us. (So, remember, we're Andalites. Play the part.)

A door on the far end of the area we were all standing in, and the human controller whom we had talked to through our ships computers stood before us in person. I guess he was average in height, average looking. But, behind him were two Hork Bajir controllers and that made me a little worried. That was, it made me a little worried until I realized that we had six Andalites, and they had two Hork Bajir. Of, course, that wasn't to say that he didn't have more Hork Bajir on board the ship.

He smiled, gesturing towards the doorway that now connected our two ships. "After you, my dear Andalites. Unless, of course, you want to change your mind. The Kelbrid ships will be here in just moments, if you want to stay instead."

(We still accept your offer, Yeerk,) Jake snapped, stepping forward to lead the way for the rest of us.

The man held up his hands. "I just thought I'd ask."

Jake started through the doorway, and I followed him, the others behind me. The man watched as we passed by him and the two Hork Bajir managed to stand off to the side, making sure we weren't going to do anything dangerous. This was a joke really because obviously the Yeerks in their heads knew that we could easily take them out. That was, until I passed by, and on the side of the Hork Bajir that had been facing away from me, I saw a dracon beam attached to his waist. Okay, that made me a bit more nervous. I swiveled my one stalk eye to see if the others noticed as they walked by. They all did. Now the situation was a bit more desperate. We were walking onto an enemy craft, with no advantages, and the enemy was completely armed.

(Jake…I don't like this guy,) I warned. (He's way too smug.)

(Yeah, I noticed,) Jake responded, stepping into the helm part of the Yeerk ship. It looked almost like a mini blade ship. Obviously the Yeerks still liked to ride in style. Maybe the ship could hold twenty people, if not less if there were more Hork Bajir on board. (He's thrilled to have Andalites at his mercy.)

(A bit too thrilled,) I amended. (I mean, I was less excited at Christmas when I was five than this guy is now.)

(Cassie, what do think?) Jake asked, once again stepping into his roll of trusting members of the group for their natural strengths.

(I don't know,) she said, looking around. (I think this guy, if the Yeerks are trying to create a new empire, will try to use us as hosts to gain leverage over any other opposing Yeerks. It's kind of like this guy is trying to be in charge.)

(Hey, Jake?) I interjected. (I vote we _don't _get infested.)

(Agreed,) He responded. There was a murmur from everyone else in my head. It was going to be difficult to get used to everyone thought-speaking for their normal voice. I was so used to how things used to be. I was still waiting for Jake to give the signal to attack, we demorph, and go home. Mission accomplished. World saved…again.

A few minutes later, the man followed us into the room. The Hork Bajir were on high alert, even though they knew they didn't stand a chance. The man spoke, "The matter at hand has been cleared. I have explained to the Kelbrids that you are our prisoners and that you will be dealt with accordingly. We are now on a course for a sector of space that will be more welcoming to the mighty Andalites."

No one spoke because we had nothing to say. Well, at least I didn't have anything to say. I had a whole bunch I wanted to ask. I kept my mouth shut for a change. This was a tense situation and my being smart with the enemy wasn't going to help.

"What? Have nothing to say?" He taunted. "As a species, you were never a talkative bunch. But, then again, I suppose your doing that private thought-speak in your head, plotting to over take the ship." He laughed. "Don't bother, I've armed this ship. All around on the walls are dracon weapons, which will fire the moment I command it. Why are you all so tense? I will uphold my end of the deal. I will return you to a safe sector of space, alive and well."

(Prince Jake,) Ax said privately. (I do believe we can easily defeat these Hork-Bajir.)

(Yeah,) Jake replied. (I was thinking the same thing. But we'd need to take out this guy before he orders the ship to fire any dracon weapons.)

(I think me and Ax should do it,) Tobias said. (We have the most experience out of anyone for dealing with these bodies. We take out this guy and the Hork Bajir, and one of you take out the last one.)

(That's good,) I agreed. (But once we do that, we need a plan. These aren't the only guys on the ship. We need a place to go.)

(I believe I can manage to close off the front part of the ship with the helm. We can disable life support in the remaining parts of the ship and render any Yeerk host unconscious. And then, we tie them up. When they revive, we can starve the Yeerk out. We will have allies.)

(Good idea,) Jake said. (Okay…wait for it.)

This guy, in the mean time, was still talking about whatever it was that he had been talking about. "Yes, we Yeerks are alive and well. And when we have the chance, we will try again to build an Empire. But, we will take you Andalites first." He smirked at us. "No, we won't leave you for last. You are our one competition. We will take you first."

He looked at us. That guy was calm. He knew we were going to kill him.

(Jake, I think we're setting ourselves up for something,) I warned. (I feel like this guy knows more than we do. We need more information.)

(We don't have a choice,) Jake said. (We aren't going to get answers from him. Our answers are with the Andalites. They can maybe help us get back to human form. We need this ship.)

(Shoot and then ask questions,) Rachel agreed. (Let's do it.)

(Now!) Jake commanded.

In a blink of an eye, both of the Hork Bajir guards were out. And the guy was unconscious on the floor. There was barely any sound. I didn't participate. Ax took out the guy. Tobias got the one Hork Bajir. Shockingly, I know, Rachel took down the other Hork Bajir.

(That was the easy part,) Jake acknowledged. He lifted up his hand and motioned we go into the helm part of the ship. (Let's go.)

We shuffled into the helm. It was a tight fit, but it would only be a temporary fix until we would move out and deal with the remaining Yeerks. Ax successfully shut the helm from the controls. He began to work at the controls.

(I wish we could morph something smaller,) Cassie said. (I'm beginning to really hate these Andalite bodies.)

(Yes,) Ax said, fingers moving at different buttons. (Now you see why we are a species who enjoy open skies and no walls.)

(I will never complain about the breeze in your scoop every again, Ax-man,) I laughed, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

After a few moments, Ax gave us an update. (Prince Jake, I have successfully managed to turn off life support. In a few minutes, I will turn them back on. We can then proceed with our plan.)

(Good work,) Jake commented, and then laughed. (I guess we still have it guys.)

(I wish to express some concern,) Ax said.

(What?)

(It appears that the Kelbrid are hailing us, and attempting visual communication with our ship.)

(Well, turn it off!) Rachel raged. (Do something. If they see us, they will kill us as fast as possible.)

(Well, yes,) Ax replied coldly, obviously offended. (I have tried that. But, it appears as if the visual communication is only one way, and there are access codes which are uncommonly difficult for me to handle. It was quite advanced.)

There was a silence.

(Ax, are you saying that the Kelbrids can see us?) Jake asked.

(That is precisely what I am saying.)

(Oh, man…) Tobias groaned in our heads. (That is so not good.)

(No,) Ax commented. He pulled up a transparent window for us to look out. The sight stunned me.

Outside were thousands of Kelbrid ships, and they were assembled, flying in the same direction we were heading. I knew. I knew what they were doing. I knew where all of those fighters we going.

(The Kelbrids believe that our arrival was an Andalite invasion. They have seen it as an act of war,) Ax said, calmly, off-handedly. (I believe that we have started yet another inter-galactic war.)

(Andalites verses the Kelbrids…) Tobias murmured.

(Yeah,) I agreed. (But the question is, who's gonna win?)


	7. Chapter Seven: Jake

_A/N -- This is kind of a fill chapter. Sorry, but I feel that's it's neccessary. We do learn some things. I promise things will pick up in the next two chapters and I also promise awesome fight scenes. Well, maybe not awesome, but there will definately be fight scenes. THANKS FOR REVIEWING!_

**Chapter Seven: Jake**

This had definitely not been my day. I was revived from the dead in a body not my own, only to be chased through space by an alien I had never encountered, placed at the mercy of the Yeerks, and had managed to start an intergalactic war.

Hadn't we just _stopped _one?

(Ax,) I asked, stepping towards him. (Are your people ready for another war?)

(I have been away from home for many years,) Ax admitted. (I do not know how much of the Andalite fleet is active after the war with the Yeerks. I am not sure of how capable these Kelbrids are.) He worked feverishly at the console, when finally he turned a stalk-eye in my direction. (Prince Jake, I have downloaded any relevant information on the Kelbrid onto a disk. It might prove handy.) He held up a small round metal item I didn't even remotely recognize.

(Good work, Ax,) I responded tolerantly.

I watched in the as the Kelbrids ships managed to fly alongside of us. They could see us. I knew that. But why hadn't they fired on us yet? Didn't they want to kill the Andalites that had invaded their space? I didn't have the answers to these questions because I didn't know how these alien's characteristics. I had fought a long war against a conquering parasitic race, but these aliens weren't like what I expected. We should have been shot down by now. That's what people did when they were invaded.

(Hey, Jake,) Marco spoke from behind me. I swiveled my stalk-eye to see him. Man, that was weird. (Just a question…but why haven't these guys killed us yet?)

(I don't know,) I answered. (I was just thinking the same thing.)

(They have us surrounded,) Tobias pointed out to an audience who knew the situation. (They know we can't fight back against that many ships. Maybe their waiting to kill us, as a game, sort of like a cat hunting a mouse.)

(You would know all about hunting mice…) Marco murmured.

I sighed. I wasn't really in the mood for Marco's sarcastic comments, but I didn't have time to tell him to stop. We had to understand what was happening before we could do anything. (Maybe we're prisoners,) I offered. (We might be used as evidence when the Andalites deny all knowledge of sending one of their people into Kelbrid space.)

(_We _don't even know why we're in Kelbrid space,) Rachel pointed out. (We don't know why Farangal put us in these bodies. We don't know why he lied to Cassie. We don't know why the Yeerks were conveniently in the area of our ship when we woke up.)

I nodded. (Yeah. That's too many things we don't know.) I turned a stalk-eye towards Cassie. She was standing in the corner of the helm, looking off into the distance with all four of her eyes. I didn't think any of us would ever get used to these bodies. It was obvious we weren't real Andalites thanks to the fact we weren't using the bodies properly. Ax was always moving his eyes around, his tail was poised. For all we were concerned, these were just morphs. This was a problem I didn't know how to fix.

(Cassie,) I said. (You're the only one who might be able to help us.)

She looked towards me with a glazed look in her eyes. (I don't know anything. I just know that Farangal betrayed me and put us in danger.)

(We know,) I sighed. (But…think. Please, just try. Did he mention anything before he did something to betray your trust? Did he say anything odd?)

There was a moment of silence as Cassie tried to think. I felt as if that moment stretched on forever. Our survival and the survival of the Andalite race were at hand. Her memories were key to understanding and reversing the problem. At long last, she hesitantly spoke. (Just before he knocked me out, he said something. I don't know what he meant. It could have been anything…) her voice trailed off.

(What did he say?)

(He said that someday I might find the file and understand,) she said simply, heavily. (That's it.)

Obviously Cassie was taking the weight of this onto herself. She probably felt it was her fault we were in these bodies, felt it was her fault we were in danger, felt it was her fault a war was in the making. I knew that feeling. I knew the heaviness it put on your heart and your soul. I felt weariness as I managed pity for Cassie. She didn't deserve this. None of us deserved to go through this again. We had already done our duty, hadn't we?

(A file? What is that supposed to mean?) Rachel stated hotly, frustrated.

(Maybe a computer file?) Tobias suggested.

(If that's the case, then where is the computer file?) Rachel returned.

I paused, and then a realization came upon me. (On the other ship,) I stated softly. I turned swiftly towards Ax who was still flying this ship. I grabbed his shoulder. I startled him because he jumped a bit and turned his head towards me. (Ax…are we still docked with the Andalite ship we came in on?)

His attention redirected back to the consoles, and his fingers moved about, clicking various buttons. (Yes,) He responded. (I believe we may exit the same way we came in.) Ax was already on page with me.

(What?) Marco said. (Are you telling me that the computer file is on that Andalite ship?)

(Yes, Marco, that is exactly what I'm saying,) I replied. I took on last look at the Kelbrids moving through space. There wasn't much choice in the matter. If we stood here, we couldn't do anything. On the other ship we might have a chance of solving this. (Okay, guys, let's go.)

(I'm not quite sure if this is the right moment,) Marco began off-handedly, (but might we get a bit of inspiration from the Mighty Xena?)

Rachel smiled with her eyes because Andalites didn't have a mouth. (Let's do it,) she nodded, happiness dripping in every word. And then she laughed, clapping her hands together, an odd looking thing on an Andalite body. (Oh, yes…the Animorphs are _back_.)

Ax opened the doors to the bridge and we filed out, Rachel in front and Ax in the back. We went back the way we came, stepping over the bodies that we had managed to knock out. They could probably come to in a few hours, confused as to what happened. I shook my head mentally. There was something frustrating about that. It had been so simple. There was something frustrating about their attitude. There was something frustrating me in the back of my mind, as if I were forgetting something. But that didn't matter as we entered the Andalite ship again. At least it felt familiar and remotely ours. That gave me a sense of comfort.

(I will begin searching the computer, Prince Jake,) Ax said.

I nodded. (Okay, go ahead.)

I heard a slight laughter in my head. I turned and saw Rachel laughing in the direction of Cassie.

(What?) Cassie asked her best friend.

(Nothing,) Rachel managed. (I was just thinking that at least now I don't have to see you wearing jeans that come up four inches above your ankle. Those things were a disgrace to fashion and the Wildlife Help Clinic.)

There was a silence as Cassie cocked her head towards Rachel. (It was called the Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic,) she responded shortly and pointedly, hurt by the comment.

(No it wasn't,) Rachel argued.

(Yes,) Cassie returned. (Yes, it was.)

I looked in the direction of Cassie. (Cassie's right.)

(You sure?) Rachel inquired, softly and more insecure.

(You've been there a million times before,) Cassie said. (How can you not remember?)

Rachel looked around, as if trying to figure something out. She held her hands out in a defeated manner. (I…I don't know. I just went to try and remember and it was as if there was this gray veil blocking the information from me. I guess I just took a stab in the dark.)

I cocked my head and look in the direction of the two. I knew exactly what Rachel was talking about. It was eerie, too. (I've experience it too,) I admitted. (Back when Ax said there was transmission. It was like I was supposed to know what it was, but I didn't.)

(What's going on?) Rachel asked me.

(It might be some side-effect of the mind transfer,) Ax said. (It's possible that you being dead an in the vacuum of space paired with the transfer caused for possible memory loss and brain damage.)

There was a moment of silence as we all looked around at each other. This was definitely just another bad thing to add to a really bad day.

(Are you suggesting, Ax, that we could possibly be in a dire situation where our previous knowledge could come in handy…and then we won't be able to remember it?) Marco asked.

(Yes.)

(Well…this could be a problem,) Marco said, turning towards me.

I nodded. (Yeah, I figured as much. Ax, keep working on finding that file. In the mean time, can the information you got on the Kelbrids on the Yeerk ship combined with the information on this ship help your people in the battle?)

(I believe so,) he responded.

(Okay, then send a message out from Prince Aximili explaining the situation and give them the information,) I responded. (We need to give the Andalites as much of a heads-up as we can give them.)

(What if the Kelbrids intercept our data stream?) Tobias asked.

(It's something we have to risk,) I said. (So, just do it. And find that file.)


	8. Chapter Eight: Rachel

**Chapter Eight: Rachel **

Back at the beginning of the war, there was this brief period of time where I had lost my memory. I couldn't remember who I was or what was happening to me when I morphed. It was terrifying. I couldn't even remember my friends, who were the only people I could trust. So, when faced with the fact that some of my memory was deleted in this transfer process, I was mad. I was more than mad; I was outraged.

The Andalites had never exactly been the do-gooders of the galaxy that we had idolized them to be. They had abandoned earth to fight the Yeerks in different parts of the galaxy, didn't trust humans despite the fact we helped to defeat the Yeerk Empire, and they had basically planned to wipe out the entire planet with a virus when they saw that the humans were going to lose. The Andalites were far from being high and mighty on my list anymore. And now, Farangal had managed to put me into a different body. I didn't care about the Andalites anymore. I was furious with them. I was sick of their arrogant behavior and the pedestal they stood on. Some of my memory had been deleted. As far as I was concerned, these Kelbrids could go after the Andalites all they wanted. I didn't care.

(If I send a deep space transmission, the Andalite home world will most likely request a visual communication from the ship it was sent from,) Ax informed Jake.

(Perfect,) Jake responded. (Then we can tell them about the situation and get things fixed before they get too out of hand.) He paused, and then added, (Hopefully.)

(We heard that last part, Jake,) Marco acknowledge, holding up his hand to be seen in the back.

(Oh,) Jake said, shrugging and looking back. (I guess my old morale boosting speeches are coming back to me.) He smiled with his eyes.

Marco rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. (Great. He comes back from the dead and he thinks he's witty.)

(Would now be a bad time to bring up that the Andalite home world doesn't know we're really humans? And that if they found out we started a war with the Kelbrids that they'll most likely bring us up on…treason charges and try to kill us?) Tobias offered.

(See Jake,) Marco motioned towards Tobias. (Birdalite-boy here remembers how our war conversations used to be.)

(Birdalite?) Tobias asked.

(Yeah,) Marco confirmed. (See, it's Bird and Andalite in one word. You're not bird-boy anymore because, well…you're not a bird.)

I decided to speak up. (Marco…either it's me, or your jokes are getting lamer.)

(No,) Tobias agreed. (They're getting lamer.)

(So, anyway, we digress…) Marco said defensively to get the conversation back on topic.

Ax answered. (I think it is highly unlikely that the High Council will kill us. If we find this file Cassie spoke of, then the evidence will be clear. Also, the ship has logs that we might be able to use to our advantage.) He pressed a final button on the consol. (The information has been sent to my people. I have also instructed the computer to find any files that may lie in separate pieces within the computer.) There was a pause, almost like he was hesitating.

(Ax?) Jake pressed.

(I believe the computer has found the file that Farangal may have left,) Ax responded. (Shall I play it?)

(Definitely,) I nodded in approval. I wanted to know why this was happening.

There was a brief moment of silence as we stared at the computer consol. I was wondering if the file was even working, when, suddenly, there was an Andalite face that appeared before us. It was obviously a recorded image, but it startled me nonetheless. It's never exactly settling to have an alien pop up in front of you.

It started, (Hello, Cassie. I assume that the rest of the Animorphs and Prince Aximilli are with you. I suppose at this point you are all aware that you are permanently in these Andalite bodies. They are morph capable, however consoling that is. But, do not fear. There are worse fates that could await you, such as death. Or, the pending war with the Kelbrids. If you have not discovered it yet, then I'll simply tell you. You are in Kelbrid space. And if everything goes to plan, then I have successfully started an Andalite-Kelbrid war.)

I jerked my thumb towards the screen. (This guy is a regular genius, huh?)

(Shh,) Cassie motioned for me to be quiet. Her almond eyes were intense, staring at the picture before her. She was the only one who recognized the face. I couldn't even imagine how Cassie was feeling.

Farangal's message continued. (I am a Yeerk sympathizer, a traitor to the Andalite race. Prince Aximilli will probably have a few negative things to say, but let him say them. The Yeerks deserved the freedom Seerow gave them. Perhaps they shouldn't have enslaved race to race, but they are an intelligent species who deserve to learn and explore as we do.)

His eyes turned, and I swear his gaze met Cassie's. (Cassie, understand that I am an Andalite scientist and former warrior. I did do the experiments that allowed for the revival of your friends. But, I did not do them for you. My reasons were only selfish. I stole a craft and sent you into Kelbrid space. I knew that the arrival of Andalites would anger the Kelbrids and start a war. I knew, or at least hoped, that with an Andalite-Kelbrid War, the spermatic remains of the Yeerk Empire could recollect. They offered me a deal I could not refuse. I accepted the challenge and did this. And now, whatever happens happens. But the war will rage and the Andalites cannot hope to win. The Kelbrids will retreat to their corner of the galaxy. The Yeerk Empire will rise again, and with the Yeerks so will my life.)

He seemed to sigh. (I still have a bit of honor, so I made this message against orders to at least help you understand. But, please know that my life can only be better in service to the Yeerks. I cannot explain this rational now, for my time with this communicator grows short. But know that this is for the better. Good bye, Cassie. Good bye, Animorphs.)

The message terminated.

(What honor is there in allying themselves with the Yeerks?) Ax scoffed, his voice teetering on full out rage. (There is no honor. Just stupidity.)

(Does he have any idea what he's done?) Tobias asked out loud, more to himself than any of us, I think. (Does he have any idea what's going to happen? The galaxy will never be a better place when the Yeerks are in power.)

Jake sighed heavily. I glanced over at him and felt a stab of pain in my heart. Things were just going back to how they used to be. Impossible odds. Hard decisions. Hard decisions that fell on Jake. (Okay, at least we know why this has happened,) He said softly. (Let's take on thing at a time. The Kelbrids still haven't reached us, but they're coming for us. Ax, get a transmission sent to the Andalite home world. Now.)

Ax nodded, his fingers working again at the controls.

(We can still morph right?) I said. (So, let's get some morphs and a fleet of ships and take out these Kelbrids.)

(Rachel, seriously, you haven't been dead long enough to lose your common sense,) Marco responded dryly. (These guys are more technologically advanced than the Andalites are. The only person who could probably help is the Ellimist and he wouldn't because of the rules.)

I stomped my foot on the ground. Marco was right; there was no use in denying it. But, I couldn't help but get frustrated at the situation. We were not going to be beat, that I was sure. I wasn't going to get thrown into a hopeless situation. I was going to find a way out. But, unfortunately, strategy was never my forte. I couldn't think of how to get us out of it.

(Prince Jake,) Ax said. (I have made contact with the home world. They are hailing us.)

(Open a channel,) Jake nodded.

(Renegade Andalites,) A voice said, seconds later followed by a live feed of an Andalite. (We have received your transmission, but we deny any of its claims. There is no intelligence as to any Kelbrids coming to attack Andalite space.)

(Yeah, but we're in Kelbrid space,) Marco interjected. (And you guys can read that, can't you?)

Jake shot Marco a look, and in private thought speak said, (Shut up, Marco.)

The Andalite glared at Marco. (Yes, we see you in Kelbrid space. Your orders are to leave there immediately before any such accidental event can transpire. That is all. You will return to the home planet and you will be brought up on charges of stealing an Andalite fighter-ship and attempted-treason. I have sent ships to rendezvous with you to see that these orders are carried out.) He squinted his eyes authoritatively at Marco. (Is that understand, young Andalite.)

(Understood,) Jake stepped in before Marco could say something.

(This isn't a very bright joke to play,) The Andalite continued to drive his point home. (You will--)

Quite suddenly, the screen went completely dark as the transmission was cut short.

(Ax, what happened?) Jake snapped.

(It appears that the base where the transmission was being sent from was destroyed,) Ax responded, obviously reading some sort of long-rage sensors of sort.

(What?) Cassie yelped.

(It appears to be from an alien weapon,) he continued. (That is all I can tell you at this point.)

(Kelbrid?) Tobias mused.

(Oh, man,) I said. (They're not waiting to catch us, they don't care about us. We're just the reason to attack. They're moving on to the main invasion!)

(This makes no sense!) Marco said. (There's no way they could have gotten to the Andalite world this fast! That's impossible!)

(They are more advanced than we are,) Tobias pointed out. (Farangal told us that.)

(Okay, guys,) Jake said, clapping his hands and looking at us. (We got a few things we need to do. One, get the Andalite world. Two, figure out how to stop these Kelbrids. And three, acquire some new morphs.)

(Are these Kelbrid gonna let us get away just like that?) I asked.

(Like you said, they don't care about us,) Jake shrugged. (We can only hope to try and figure out their weakness and stop this war before it ends with another race completely exterminated.)

(And before the Yeerks can get any sort of position of power in the galaxy,) Cassie added.

(Oh, man,) Marco complained. (Didn't we just stop a war with those slugs?)

I laughed, and hit him on the shoulder. (Don't you just love the glamorous life of a super hero?)

He shook his head. (What's next, Xena? You gonna give us a war call and charge into battle?)

I smiled with my eyes. (Let's do it.)

Marco groaned. Everyone else laughed.


	9. Chapter Nine: Ax

_A/N _- _Thanks for the continued support and reviews. Let me know if this is moving too slow or is uninteresting. I can make adjustments. I had a burst of creativity and wrote another chapter. _

**Chapter Nine: Ax **

My friends at first seemed distraught at their new Andalite bodies. I did not understand. They were better capable bodies and had the tail as a natural defense. They could see in all directions at once. But, I soon began to see their point. They were not familiar with these bodies and wished to have their human form. Still, given the situation, there were much worse bodies to be given.

Though, the honor of the Andalite race had been tarnished severely throughout the war with the Yeerks. There were deserters, traitors, spies, and now sympathizers. It was outrageous. Was there any decent warrior left on the home world?

(Ax,) Prince Jake said. (That information was sent to your planet, right?)

I nodded, a trait I had learned from them. (Yes.)

(Was that information destroyed when the base was blown up?) He asked.

I shook my head now. (No. The information was sent to the people's network. The information will be reviewed by the Andalite High Council before being issued to the military files or civilian files.)

(So, then they should know who is attacking them, right?) Jake sounded hopeful.

I did not know. I knew what it meant to him that my people would still be capable to hold their ground. But, these Kelbrid were strong creatures and I did not know. I did not even trust my people to remain true to their beliefs. Would they see the Kelbrids ships hovering over the planet? And if they did, would they see the information before they send warriors to battle without any intelligence?

(I believe so,) I said.

(We should get to the Andalite home world,) Cassie suggested. (We can help them.)

(We know about as much about the Kelbrid as they do,) Marco pointed out. (We wouldn't be doing much but making the princes angrier at us than they already are.)

(We have to do something,) Cassie countered. (We're not any help just sitting here like dead weights in Kelbrid space.)

Jake sighed in our heads. (Cassie's right. We need to move out. Ax? Can you get us to your planet?)

(Of course,) I responded. (But, what are we to do about the other ship?)

There was a silence. Obviously my human friends had not thought of this. But we had a ship of potential allies sitting next to us. And, it was a fighter ship, which would prove useful with any confrontation with Kelbrid ships.

(I think…one of us is going to have to fly it,) Jake said slowly.

There was a silence again.

(Okay, bad idea,) Marco said. (For one thing, we've never flown a spaceship before…)

(Hey, at least its space. Fewer things for you to hit, Marco,) Rachel said. I believe she was attempting to be humorous.

Marco pointed one of his Andalite fingers at her. (I've gotten my license since our last incident, thank you very much. And I'm a good driver. But, my other point is…has anyone else forgotten our little memory problem? What if we're flying and suddenly we can't remember a small thing that used to help us in the past?)

(We've got to chance it,) Jake said. (I know it's a crazy idea.)

(We're so far over the line into crazy,) Marco said. (This is past crazy. Think about all that's happening!)

Jake spoke exasperatedly. (Marco, are you done?)

(Yeah, I'm done.)

Jake rubbed his temples. (Okay, then, Marco, I think you should be the one to fly it. I don't want you in there alone, so have Cassie and Tobias with you.)

(It should be simple,) I said. (You should only have to set in the coordinates and the ship should pilot itself to the Andalite world.)

(Key words: 'should' and 'only',) Tobias muttered.

Cassie, Marco, and Tobias assembled themselves into the other ship. After finding their way to the helm, I communicated with them. I taught them the very basics, such as how to send a visual communication and an audio communication. They seemed to understand it, which was key. We would use these communications to keep in contact with each other. And then, I taught them how to access and use the Auto Pilot and weapons. At first, Marco was supposed to pilot the ship, but he took a liking to the weapons, so Tobias ended up standing at the controls.

I flew off, making sure Marco's ship was behind us, and I headed for the Andalite world. My hearts pounded heavily in my chest. I knew I was about to be tested again. I would be back among my people with the Animorphs with me. Even though I knew my loyalties were with my friends, my friends who had never done anything to aid the Yeerks, I still worried. I was afraid that I would subject to higher-ranked Andalites despite my Prince-rank, and I didn't know how I would respond. I sighed inwardly. It did not matter. They would not recognize me as Prince Aximilli. I was in a different body than they were accustomed to seeing me.

But, it was very clear. If any Andalites recognized us, we would be shot on sight. Our images were already out on the people's-net. We were in serious trouble for being in Kelbrid space. And now we were in even more trouble because we had been the reason for the Kelbrid attack.

We would most likely be killed for treason.

It was not a comforting thought. I just hoped that we would not run into the Andalite fighters that were meant to escort us. I hoped that they had diverted and gone to aid against the attack. I had no idea as to the extent of the Kelbrid's invasion and at what force they were attacking. I did not know how advanced they were and how strong they were.

(How much longer do we have?) Rachel asked. She had been growing more impatient as time passed.

(After we make our z-space jump, it should only be a few of your hours,) I responded, trying to calm her.

Marco's voice came over the computer. (A z-space jump? Do we have to do anything special for that?)

(No, the ship should do it on its own,) I said.

(I really don't like z-space,) Marco complained. (It's too white and bland for my taste.)

(That and the fact that I have bad memories about a mosquito morph relating to z-space…) Cassie mumbled.

There was silence from their ship, which was still following ours. It was a relief that their auto-pilot was relatively similar to the types I was familiar with. There was mostly silence. I expected it from Marco, Cassie, and Tobias. They were on a ship that they had to fly on their own, which was an alien concept for them. And they were on a ship that was occupied by potential allies that could just as easily be enemies.

We flew for a few earth-hours. Jake was quiet, and Rachel was restless. It was a tense situation. There was most likely a battle on the Andalite world, and there was no telling if we'd even be able to land. My human friends were also in a new situation: brought back from the dead and now they were alive in new bodies.

I was also distressed by this fact. No respectable Andalites should bring the dead back to life. I would have rather staying dead than coming back to life. I did not enjoy The One occupying my mind. It was a horrifyingly unsettling experience. If I were alive, I could be in that same situation again. I did not want to be. But, I would face my second chance at life as any Andalite Warrior should: with tail blade held high and eyes alert.

The computer made a beeping noise. I looked at it.

(Prince Jake, there seems to be four Andalite fighter craft that just existed z-space,) I said. (They are on an interception course with us.)

(The ones that your people sent to escort us?) Jake specified.

(Great,) Rachel said. (Now what do we do? We can't let these guys escort us. They'll take us to the Andalite world and let us rot in some jail until they have time to kill us.)

(We can't let these guys take us,) Tobias agreed over the communicator. (We're zero help to the Andalites in a prison cell as traitors.)

(So, do we fight?) Rachel asked, looking towards Jake. I too turned one of my stalk eyes towards him. He seemed heavy and stressed. His shoulders hung low, his head stared at the floor.

(I don't want to fight them,) Jake said. (We have to out fly them, but Marco and Tobias don't know how to fly that ship.)

(I don't know, I've got a pretty good idea,) Tobias said dryly. (We've had a few hours to look at this stuff as it is.)

Jake nodded. (Yeah, okay, then out fly them.)

The Andalites ships attempted to hail us at that instant. (Prince Jake, they request a visual communication.)

(Don't give it to them,) Jake said.

(They will fire on us,) I reminded him of their orders from the High Command.

(I know,) Jake said. (Marco, be ready.) He took a step towards the weapons station. His hand was on the joy-stick-type control that aimed the shredder. He swiveled a stalk eye towards me. (Okay, let's do this.)

I ignored the Andalites hail. As expected, they readied their weapons. I could see them rising from the top of the ship. My hearts pounded in me. I did not necessarily agree with my people all of the time, but I didn't fully trust Jake's assessment of the situation.

At least Jake had never betrayed me.

The fighters came around and began to take aim at us. My ship dropped and shot straight forward, attempting to run behind them. Marco's ship just turned straight toward the closest ship.

(Marco, what are you doing?) Jake demanded.

(Tobias is pulling a fake-out maneuver,) he answered calmly.

(You can't play chicken with an Andalite fighter!) Rachel shouted.

(Why not?) Tobias asked.

(For one thing, they _know more about the ship than you do_!) Rachel sounded frustrated.

But, quite suddenly, their fighter pulled up and out of safety seconds before the Andalite fighter fired a shredder. The red light burned bright in the vacuum of space. I turned my ship around in an attempt to confuse the other fighters to my motives.

(See, told you I knew what I was doing,) Tobias responded.

(You got lucky,) Rachel countered.

I turned my ship quickly again, but the Andalite fighters were on my tail. I turned the ship again, putting in a position to fly upwards. But, just as I went to do it, the ship shuddered violently.

BOOM!

A red light flashed.

(We've been hit!) I cried. (The left engine is down.)

(Jake, what are you doing?) Marco demanded.

(Ax, can you get us out of here?) Jake demanded.

(No, these are seasoned pilots. I cannot hope to out maneuver them now,) I responded, hating myself for not just running when I had the chance. I should have warned Jake we didn't stand a chance against experienced pilots.

My head pounded. I was also an experience pilot. I had several years after my occupation on earth to fly ships. I should have easily out flown these Andalites. But, somehow I felt that my knowledge on tactics was somehow blurred. Some of my experience was dulled because I couldn't remember how to do it.

A side effect of the memory transfer?

(Marco, quick, while they're still concentrated on us, get out of here,) Jake snapped. (Get to the Andalite planet and try to find someone who will listen and try to help.)

(We're not leaving you!) Cassie cried out.

(Get out of here, now!) Jake roared. He fired a meaningless shot into an empty section of space in a desperate attempt to attract their attention.

BOOM!

(Our right engine is crippled now, as well as our weapons capability,) I said softly.

(We're not getting out of here,) Jake said. (Look, Marco, we'll both end up at the Andalite world. Just put on the auto-pilot like Ax taught you. We'll meet up with you there.)

(How?) Tobias asked.

(I don't know,) Jake said. (Just find a way. Now, go!)

Their ship turned and jumped into z-space before our eyes. In an instant, it was Prince Jake, Rachel and me. I felt alone. Three. I was so used to all six of us standing together. And now Marco, Cassie, and Tobias were left alone to fly a ship they had never been in. There was no guarantee that they could make it to the Andalite world.

The ship rocked as the Andalite fighter connected with ours. We were then boarded and taken prisoner.


	10. Chapter Ten: Tobias

_A/N - I'm not sure how long this burst of inspiration I've had will last. But, here's another one. Thanks to_ animorph19 _and_ Brutal2003, _my most consistent reviewers. All of your comments and critiques are welcome, even though I kind of dread reading them at points. But they help me develop plots. Thanks to everyone else who reviews. It means a lot to me. _

**Chapter Ten: Tobias**

(Go back!) Cassie shouted, coming between Marco and me. (We can't just leave them there like that!)

(We go back and we'll just end up prisoners like them,) Marco countered, oddly calm and collected. He was always good at seeing things from point A to point B. (We are zero help to the Andalites sitting in a jail cell. And by now, they've figured out that we're the ones who made the Kelbrids start the attack, meaning, _Cassie, _that they want to kill us. And I can assure you that we are also zero help dead.)

(We can't leave them, Marco,) she yelled.

(Cassie, we're both going to end up at the Andalite world anyway,) I tried to calm her neutrally, putting the coordinates into the computer as Ax had taught me.

(No, Tobias,) Cassie responded hotly, her voice anguished. (You don't understand. You didn't have to get the news that your best friends were dead. You didn't have to live with yourself for five years knowing that your friends had died in some foreign corner of space.)

I didn't know how to respond. Neither did Marco apparently. We both turned our heads to face her, stunned to silence. I couldn't even remember dying. I just remember ramming the Blade Ship, a moment of blackness, and then waking up in Andalite form. This was just a continuation for me, but to Cassie this was a second life. She was the only one who had forged a completely new life, a life without us. I couldn't even begin to comprehend how she felt.

Cassie's head fell into her hands. (I don't want to lose Ax. I don't want to lose Jake and Rachel. I won't go through that again. I can't go through that again. And just leaving them there defenseless…I can just see them dead again. I can see their graves.) She lifted her eyes up and looked at Marco and me. (Please, turn around.)

I turned my head to look at Marco. He turned and looked at me. I held my hands out helplessly and shrugged slightly. Neither one of us had any idea as to what to do. But, at the same time, we knew that turning around was not an option. We needed to get to the Andalite world and we needed to make contact with the Andalite High Command. There were Yeerk sympathizers on the planet that would most likely try and bring about the demise of their own race.

(Cassie, we have to keep going,) I said quietly, taking a step towards her and putting my arms around her in an awkward hug. These bodies were strange, there was no denying it. (I can't even begin to imagine what you went through, but trust Jake and Rachel and Ax. They'll find a way. And when we get to the planet, we'll find them.)

(What are we supposed to do when we get to the Andalite world?) Cassie asked, looking up and pulling away from my grasp. (We don't know anything about the Kelbrids. We can't offer them any help at all.)

Marco nodded. (You're right. But we do know that we didn't start this. Farangal did. And the Andalites don't know that this war is a front for the Yeerks to come into power again.)

(Marco's right,) I agreed. (We can help to turn the tide. There are files on this ship about the Kelbrid. Or, at least I'm pretty sure there are. If I can somehow find them, we can do some research about them and know what we're walking into. And we can tell the Andalites about it in case they chose to ignore the file we sent them.)

I felt awkward. It wasn't usually up to me to calm anyone. I was usually the one in the corner keeping quiet unless I had something profound to say. Cassie was always the one that clamed people and made them understand, but now she was the one who was panicking. I knew Marco wasn't going to help. That's not the kind of guy he is, so I guess I took it upon me to calm her. It felt a little uncomfortable, but I could only hope that it had worked.

Whatever I said, it must have somehow reached Cassie. Because she nodded slowly and said, (You're right. You're right. We can't just give up. We're still a team, and we've got a mission.)

I smiled with my eyes. (Yeah, we're still a team.)

There was a moment of silence as Cassie searched my eyes for comfort. I wasn't sure how good I was at providing it. Years as a hawk had pretty much killed any ability I had to convey emotion.

Marco, being Marco, ruined the moment. (Okay. So, are you going to fly the ship or what?)

I actually laughed, turning around to the controls. (Yeah, I'm going to fly the ship.)

We flew through z-space for what seemed like forever. I couldn't even tell you if it were hours or days. There was no concept of time in that place. Just white that stretched on forever. So, I wasn't sure how long we were in there. Marco just tediously went through computer files since he was better with technology than I was. I stood there, making sure that we were still flying to the Andalite planet. It would be a miracle if we made it.

It was too ironic. Three humans who had never flown an alien ship on their own before were attempting to fly towards a war with only a crash half hour course on the basics of it.

(You know,) I said off-handedly after awhile had passed, (if we make it to the Andalite world, it'll be a miracle.)

(We're going in the right direction, right?) Cassie asked from behind me.

(Yeah, I think so,) I responded.

(Well, I think I finally found this file,) Marco announced a bit triumphantly. But, at the same time, he sounded exhausted. (There's some information here on the Kelbrids. Not much, but it's some.)

We waited expectantly as he seemed to scroll through the information. (It says here that they're capable of faster than light travel. As in they don't need to cut through z-space their technology is so advanced. And apparently their ships are amazingly fast.)

(Well, we know that,) I said. (Tell us something we don't know.)

(They seem to use beam-type weapons, like the Andalites and Yeerks,) he said. (Only their energy is more concentrated. For you less educated people, that means that their weapons are more deadly than any we've seen before.)

(Okay, so they're more advanced than us. We know that. How about any weaknesses?) Cassie questioned.

Marco just shrugged. (Let me get back to you on that. I have to read through these files a bit more.)

(Are those files in English?) I demanded suddenly.

Marco actually took a step back. (Actually…yeah. Wow, that's weird. Why would they be in English?)

(If one of those unconscious humans we have on board with us were to use the computers, the Yeerks would put it in English for them to use,) I said eagerly.

(Meaning they'd be uninfested,) Cassie continued. (Meaning we have enemies with us, not just people we need to starve the Yeerks out of.)

I groaned. (Oh, man.) I turned a stalk eye towards the door that lead to the bridge of the ship where we stood. (One of us has to go out there and make sure that everyone outside of this bridge is tied up and secure.)

(I'll do it,) Marco said, stepping forward. I knew what he was thinking. He didn't trust Cassie to do what she would need to do. And I was piloting the ship, so I couldn't volunteer myself.

Marco should have trusted Cassie. I felt a bit bitter towards the fact that he probably jumped to that conclusion. But, this needed to be done, and Marco would make sure that the job would be done.

I nodded in agreement. (Right, okay. Be careful, though.)

Marco left the helm, leaving Cassie and I by ourselves.

(You and Marco don't trust me,) Cassie said suddenly, surprising me. I jerked my head in her direction. It was kind of obvious that I was acting guilty. (I understand that you may trust me to be too emotional because of what I've been through. But what you two need to understand that I'm still good in a fight and I'm still willing to do what needs to be done.)

I sighed. (Cassie, we don't not trust you. This whole thing is just so complicated.)

(I know,) she agreed. (It's so complicated. But, I trust you two. I just was hoping that you'd still be willing to give me the same trust back.)

I laughed light-heartedly. (Cassie, you've saved my life. I'd trust you any day of the week.)

About a half hour went by and I began to worry whether or not Marco was all right. I wanted to try an access some sort of security system that the computer might have had, but I didn't trust myself not to screw up the auto-pilot in some way in the process. Cassie and I just kept exchanging worried glances when suddenly the door to the bridge opened. It was Marco. And before Marco was a human male, about forty years old.

(This guy claims he can help us,) Marco said, pushing the man forward, his tail blade held at the ready.

(Are you a Yeerk sympathizer?) I asked him.

He shook his head. "No. The Yeerks took me before they abandoned earth. My Yeerk was feeding in the pool when you killed the life support. I fell unconscious and when I woke up he was walking around, securing people in a back room." He jerked his finger towards Marco.

(He says he's flown the ship before,) Marco said. I look towards the man for a confirmation.

He nodded. "That's right. I have. I can help you get to the Andalite world. I can help you fight this second Yeerk uprising." He hesitated, taking in a deep breath as though he was going to speak, but he never did. After a moment, he decided to go ahead with his thought. "This one says that you need more information about the Kelbrid."

I shot a look at Marco. Apparently Marco had had a pleasant conversation with this guy before even consulting with us. I let it slide. I had to trust Marco. After all, he was probably testing the guy of his knowledge before bringing him up here. (That's right.)

"I can tell you whatever you want to know," he said. He shrugged. "My name is Frank, by the way. And when I was a host, I was in charge of learning about the Kelbrids."

I looked at Cassie, and then back at Marco. Marco looked a bit smug, like he was satisfied with being right.

I spoke to myself more than to anyway and said, (Okay, this could work.)

(Can we trust this guy?) Cassie asked me in private thought speak.

(Maybe, maybe not,) Marco responded. (But, we need information about the Kelbrids and about the Yeerks. This guy can supply us with answers.)

"You guys can stop talking between yourselves," Frank said. He spread his arms wide. "I know the chances of finding an ally out here is slim to none, but trust me on this. I can help you."

Cassie looked at me. (What other choice do we have?)

I nodded and looked at Frank. (What can you tell us?)


	11. Chapter Eleven: Jake

_((A/N -- I'm not really sure if this is just a crappy chapter because I felt the urgent need to update, or if it actually pertains to the plot. Please read and review, and please let me know if this is even making any sense. I'm trying desperately not to over complicate things and solve problems.))_

**Chapter Eleven: Jake**

The Andalites who had captured Ax, Rachel and I weren't exactly gentle. But, who could blame them? They took the ship we had been flying, and immediately began looking at logs and files while they hustled us to some sort of Andalite brig on the vessel that had boarded with us. There were shredders in ever conceivable place in the cell. I looked around with my stalk eyes, and I knew that there was no way we were going to get out of here by morphing or even by trying to break out. They would fry us within seconds.

(Okay, cousin, what do you plan we do?) Rachel asked idly, patting the walls of our cell. (I don't suppose you've figured out a way for us to take the ship, have you?)

I sighed. (Rachel, there's no point in trying to break out. They would kill us. The best thing we can do is try and work with the Andalites and make them realize that this isn't our fault…it's Farangal's.)

(Which should be any moment by now, right?) She pressed. (I mean, there's a file on that computer somewhere. They're bound to find it. They were working through that stuff like mad when they took us.)

I didn't exactly have a response. The Andalites, in my experience with them, had never exactly been trustworthy. They would bury their head in the sand and choose to ignore the obvious truth because of their intense pride. So, no, I wasn't too sure if the Andalites would find the file, and if they did, I wasn't sure if they would acknowledge its existence. At the risk of perhaps Ax getting stiff to the situation, I kept quiet. He knew about his people's reputation in the galaxy, but he was still an Andalite who would proud of his heritage. No need to make tensions any worse than they were at the moment.

Just then, two Andalite officers came in. The guards in front of our cell stood at attention, their hand held shredders pointed towards us in case we decided to attack these guys. Which was pointless, I realized. There was no practical way to attack these guards or officers without very quickly ending up dead. And we couldn't win this war dead on an alien space craft.

Again.

So, I tried to give the officers my attention, as did Rachel and Ax.

(Just be cool,) I whispered to them.

The officers stood in front of our cell, surveying us over like we were bugs that needed to be killed. But, instead of killing us, they just turned away from us. It was almost as if they were ashamed to even look at us. Andalite pride and honor are important, so maybe if I were a true Andalite, I would feel bad at being turned away from, but I didn't. I was just irritated that they wouldn't even listen, let alone look at us.

(It has been known,) the one Andalite started, (for generations past that Kelbrid space is directly off limits to Andalites. So, please, before I grow infuriated with you, tell me why you would deliberately steal a space craft and go into forbidden space.)

Rachel looked at me, wondering if I would answer. But, I knew that Ax would probably be better dealing with his own people. He knew what to expect and how to respond to these, guys, I didn't. So, I turned and nodded towards Ax, giving him the clue that he could respond.

(It's true that an Andalite stole a fighter and went into Kelbrid space,) Ax began slowly. (But it was not us. We were kidnapped against our will. We were hostages to an Andalite scientist named Farangal. He was a Yeerk sympathizer who knew that a war against the Kelbrid would distract the Andalites long enough for the Yeerks to plan a second -- )

(Enough!) The officer snapped. (I knew Farangal personally. He was a noble warrior and a brilliant scientist. That you would even discredit his name in such a vulgar way is proof enough that you were the ones who kidnapped him!)

(Sir…) Ax tried.

(Silence!) He roared again. (If you took a well known scientist, you could hide behind his name. Yes, that's what you did. Don't bother to deny it.)

Ax turned on stalk eye towards me. He spoke privately to only Rachel and I. (Prince Jake, this officer has seen the file. I'm sure of it. He wishes to protect a good friend's name by having us take the blame.)

(Over my dead body!) Rachel fumed.

The officer continued. (Someone needs to be punished for the _million _Andalite's dead in the initial attack from the Kelbrid. And who do you propose that be?) He raised a hand to keep us from answering. (It shall be the ones who began the attack.)

(Farangal was doing experiments with transferring brains between bodies,) I said as calmly as I could, even though the frustration was growing within me. (I am Jake Berenson from Earth. This is my cousin, and this one is Prince Aximilli-Esgarouth-Isthil…)

(They are dead,) the officer responded flatly. (Do not try to fool me.)

(He took our minds and put them into new bodies!) I yelled. (You have to believe that it was him who started this. The Kelbrids may be attacking your home world, but I guarantee you that at this moment, the Yeerks are planning a second invasion on the galaxy.)

He officer leaned in close and looked at my main eyes with his. (You shall be executed for treachery to the Andalite people. Your sentence will be carried out upon arrival to the home world.)

(Don't you see what's happening?) I argued. (Farangal is using us against each other. He was a Yeerk sympathizer, and it was him who started this. He's still out there, probably giving Kelbrid intelligence on the Andalites, and helping the Yeerks try and rise again. You're going to kill the wrong people, and let the person who actually did this will get away!)

The officer looked towards one of the guards, who raised his weapon. In an instant, a green flash appeared and Rachel slumped helplessly to the floor.

(Stop it!) I argued, jumping forward, but the tail blade of the officer was at my throat, in between the bars in a second.

(We are battling for our lives, you incompetent fool,) he whispered icily. (You're friend is unconscious. And for every time you frustrate me, I will stun again. And again. I don't know how many times a shredder can hit a target on a low setting before it actually kills, but if you try my patience we shall both discover together. Am I clear?)

He removed his tail blade, confident that he had made his point. And he had. I wasn't going to stay anything else for risk of putting Ax's life on the line, as well as Rachel's.

(The Kelbrid are attacking us, and you are the only ones we have to explain for it's happening,) he continued. (With the information from your ship, we should have the necessary intelligence to find your friends still on the loose and capture them. With their ship, we should have enough information to stop the Kelbrid attack.)

He paced back and forth, and then momentarily stopped to continue his thought. I wasn't sure if this guy was still talking for the sake of my hearing him, or if he was just talking aloud to hear himself. (You will be executed for the traitorous behavior and the murder of a million plus Andalite people. Do not try and argue that point. We will stop this Kelbrid attack, and then we shall go back to the peaceful life we were leading.)

He paused, looking directly at me and said, (There is no additional Yeerk threat.)

With that, he and his fellow officer left. The guards went back on attention.

(He's an idiot,) I said to Ax, kneeling beside Rachel. (They're going to kill us and kill any hope of actually finding Farangal and stopping the Yeerk invasion.)

(He wants to help his people,) Ax said. (I cannot condemn him for that.)

(Ax, let's be serious for a second,) I said. (Supposing that your people do get the intelligence needed to defeat the Kelbrid, do you think that they could actually do it? I mean, the Kelbrid are pretty advanced.)

(I am confident that given the right information and the right application, yes, they could win.)

I sighed, thinking quickly. (It's safe to say that the Kelbrid don't intend on attacking anyone else in the galaxy. They're pretty intent on just destroying the Andalites.)

(What are you planning, Prince Jake?)

(Ax, if we manage to keep from being executed when we get to your planet, we need to get out of there. We need to find Farangal and the Yeerks.) I stood up, feeling anxious and excited. (It's obvious they're not going to listen. We give your people the necessary intelligence to win. Since they don't believe us about this attack being a front to hide another one, we leave the planet to find the Yeerks and keep them from becoming a serious threat again.)

(This is more complicated than any mission we have ever done before,) Ax said.

(Yeah, I know,) I nodded. (But, if we don't win this one, the Yeerks aren't only loose on the galaxy again, but the only species really capable of stopping them will be wiped out of existence.)

Rachel's eyes fluttered open. (What happened?)

I smiled down at her. (How do you feel about fighting the Yeerks again?)

(Didn't we just win a war against those slimy creeps?) She asked woozily.

(Yeah, we did.)

(Then…let's do it again.)


	12. Chapter Twelve: Marco

_A/N -- Hey, guys, it's Lisa (Lost soul) delivering another chapter. I know that some of the content in this chapter had been debated between characters for practically the entire series, but in order to keep the plot moving and to get the story forward, I had to kind of ignore that. If this is going to slow or restating things WAY too much, please let me know. R/R, thanks! As always, let me know what you think!_  
**  
Chapter Twelve: Marco**

"The Kelbrids are highly advanced," Frank continued, once he set the Yeerk fighter on a course for a part of space close to the Andalite home world. "Of course, you Andalites already knew that. They have faster ships, weapons that somehow can pass through zero space and space time. We think there is one that can bend space itself to destroy its enemies quicker. But, despite all of this, they are a species that develop these technologies solely to protect themselves and not harm other races."

I rolled my eyes. It was a very human gesture, but I didn't think it mattered. It wasn't like, even if this guy was Yeerk, he hadn't heard of the Animorphs. (I've heard that excuse before, but it doesn't change the fact that the Kelbrids are now in Andalite space and attacking the Andalite home world.)

Frank shook his head and looked over at me. "No, they wouldn't intentionally start a war out of just hatred or disliking of another alien race. They will only fight out of self defense. They're attacking the Andalites now to protect their way of life and to protect their people. But, I do not believe out of my years of research Kelbrid behavior that they will outright annihilate the Andalites. The first blow, as we monitored on our sensors, was just an object used to keep things in check and as a punishment for the Andalites breaking centuries of a treaty."

(So the Yeerks knew about the Treaty,) Tobias observed. (Otherwise you guys wouldn't have been watching us with such interest in Kelbrid space or monitoring Kelbrid actions against the Andalites.)

"_They_ were watching you," Frank said bitterly, snapping his head towards Tobias. "I am not a Yeerk."

Tobias twitched his tail a bit, reacting to the aggressive nature. (Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you.)

Cassie stepped forward a bit. (You have to understand we've spent so many years fighting the Yeerks and we're so used to seeing Human Controllers, that sometimes it's hard to separate the Yeerk from his host identity.)

Frank turned away. "Yeah, I know," he spoke darkly, almost bitterly. "That's what they take from you: you're sense of individual identity. You just become part of the whole. That was the one thing I couldn't stand. I could deal with being a prisoner inside my own head, but knowing I would never be able to escape the fact that Yeerks used humans as an identity for themselves…" He sighed. "It killed me when my Yeerk escaped the ending of the battle for Earth. I knew I would never be able to return and have people look at me as a normal person. I wouldn't be liberated in the final days and freed. I would return as the Human Controller who got away, and the Yeerk would always be attached to me."

I saw Cassie's shoulder sag, and I knew she was probably reliving the final days just like I was. But I really didn't care because this guys story wasn't what I was interested in. Jake, Rachel, and Ax were trapped as prisoners on the Andalite home world, and my only real concern was figuring out how to save them. (It sounds to me like the Kelbrid's desire for peace could be a sign of weakness. Or it could mean that maybe they're hiding something.)

Frank nodded. Good, at least the guy could stay on track when things were serious. "They are extremely frail. They're bodies are small and weak. They look like what people made the aliens out to be in Roswell, New Mexico. Except…smaller heads and eyes. They aren't formidable outside of their ships, and even less of a threat with no weapon. The Andalite morphing technology is one that they haven't figured 

out how to duplicate. Well, at least from what I can tell. The Kelbrid bodies are too fail to handle the changes that morphing requires. They're afraid that one or two Andalite patrols in morph could easily overpower their society and way of life. Likewise, Andalites were afraid that one ship could easily wipe out their society. It's the reason why there was a treaty anyway."

I nodded. (The Yeerks broke that treaty.)

Frank laughed. "Yeah, they did. In their true parasitic nature, they did. Farangal was an Andalite scientist. You were on his ship when we intercepted with you. He wasn't satisfied with his science and his life, with no room for advancement. So he decided to work with the remainder of the Yeerk Empire to piece together the seeds that would start a war between the Andalites and the Kelbrids. The Yeerk Empire hoped that such a war would distract the Andalites from seeing them regroup and infest other species. And they're future hope would be to have a pact with the Kelbrids that they would not infest their region of space, and the Andalites would eventually be wiped out completely."

Cassie looked at me, and I met her eyes immediately. This guy knew we were on Farangal's ship. He also knew that we weren't Farangal. So, more than likely, this guy knew our identities. It wasn't really a problem, but secrecy was one thing that at least kept us safe for the time being. (You knew about Farangal?)

He leaned against the control panel and nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Sure did. I was on the team that coordinated the whole effort to kidnap Cassie, give Farangal funding and technology access, and made the whole thing happen. So, I guess you can thank my Yeerk that you guys are in this little situation."

So there it was, out in the open. I tensed a little. Chose my next words carefully. (So you know who we are.)

Frank held up his hands. "I know the Animorphs when I see them. You guys gave the Yeerk Empire such a run for the longest time, how could I not know your style? Of course you're not Andalites. But the Kelbrids don't know that. That was the way the plan was supposed to work out. Now there's a few dozen ships half way across the galaxy getting ready to launch an infestation on another planet while the Andalites and Kelbrids are mixed up in a crossfire."

Tobias looked at me and shrugged. (It was bound to come out sooner or later, right?)

I just shrugged back.

Frank smiled. "Look, guys, I can help you. You want to go to the Andalite planet, but I'm telling you, that's not where you need to be focusing." He got serious, and his frown disappeared. "They Yeerks are out there, and they're a real threat, and they're growing. We need to go stop it before they even get a chance to get started."

(Half of our team has been taken prisoner by the Andalite Military because they think we're renegades who started the whole mess in the first place,) Tobias said quietly. (So we were hoping to go to the Andalite home world, drop off some useful information that could be used to stop the Kelbrids, and then bail to stop the Yeerks.)

Frank turned towards the computer and began messing around. "Okay, I'm gonna fix the coordinates to take us in a little closer to the Andalite planet. But, I'm telling you, a Yeerk vessel in this part of space is not going to be a welcome sight."

I sighed. (Yeah, we know. And neither are us three now that we're practically criminals on the Andalite home world.) I stepped forward, eyeing the consol, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the situation. (Look, you know the Kelbrids better than any of us. Is there a way to get them to call off the war?)

Frank laughed. I mean, this guy actually laughed at the predicament, which to me meant nothing good was going to come out of what he was about to say. But, much to my surprise he said, "Just talk to them."

There was a moment of silence, and I just blurted. (Are you for real?)

"Yeah, I'm serious. These Kelbrids want peace more than anything. If they find out about the whole misunderstanding and the Yeerks using you guys, they'd actually call off the war.)

(See?) Cassie said. (All of these years of being bugged by you, and there is actually a species who understands my desire for peace, Marco.)

I closed my eyes, not really ready for a comeback, and just took all of this information in. I backed up, putting one of my hands on my forehead. Tobias stepped up beside me, patting me on the back. (I know what Marco looks like when he has the ideas for a plan.)

I looked up at him, really not used to the concept of also seeing Cassie _behind _me at the same time. (Yeah, I do. Okay, look, we need to get to the Andalite planet and somehow infiltrate it and save Jake, Rachel, and Ax. One of us will stay behind, possibly Cassie since she's best qualified, and negotiate the peace talks between the Kelbrids and the Andalites. Of course, there's still the definite possibility of being brought up for treason, but at least there won't be a war. And then the rest of us can speed out with our boy Frank here and bust up the Yeerk supply line before they have a chance to actually get anymore slugs into anymore species.)

(Sounds simple enough, right?) Tobias said, looking at me.

I laughed and shook my head. (Oh, man, Tobias. We are gonna need some new morphs.)

Frank raised his hand. "I've got an idea."

We all looked at him. He motioned towards the back area where life support was just coming back on. "There are a whole mess of humans and Hork Bajir back there, alive and well. Why not acquire a human morph and a Hork Bajir, so that way at least you'll have a body you're comfortable with, and a Yeerk host that would fit in once we get to the Yeerks."

There was another moment of silence.

(You know, we usually talk about how unethical it is to acquire sentient creatures without their permission…) I said slowly.

"You don't exactly have a choice," Frank said flatly.

Cassie sighed. And I waited a second more and she said, (Look, guys, I want to do whatever it takes to save Jake, Rachel, and Ax. I know that I would usually oppose this, but they would be really useful morphs for the situation. And given our lack of any other options, Frank is absolutely right. We don't have a choice.)

Tobias nodded. (I say we do it. Human and Hork Bajir. We aren't technically humans anymore, and we haven't been for awhile, so it'd be like any other time we've morphed a sentient being.)

Frank said, "I think I speak for everyone on board when I say anyone on this ship would do whatever it took to stop the Yeerks."

(Yeah, we know, and we really appreciate the offer,) I said. It was odd, but Frank's reassuring words were all I needed to spill over the edge into an ethically questionable course of action. But, he was speaking the truth. Anyone under Yeerk control was usually willing to do whatever it took to stop the Yeerks, and we were too pressed for time to exactly go tramping around the galaxy looking for other morphs.

(Okay,) I said. (Let's do it. Let's acquire a human, a Hork Bajir, and a Yeerk.)

("Yeerk?") I heard from three people.

(Morphing is our key advantage here. We need to have any sort of edge or flexibility we can while we're out here in a situation we didn't exactly ask to be in. And a Yeerk can go practically anywhere.) I paused before I said the next thing.

Cassie hesitated, but then said, (That doesn't feel right.)

Tobias nodded, like he agreed with her, and I was about to regret even bringing it up, but then he said, (Look, Cassie, normally I'd agree with you, but we're not the Yeerks. We wouldn't be enslaving the person forever, and we aren't out to control the entire species. We're looking to save our friends, save millions of lives from a war that shouldn't even be starting, and save who knows how many more from the Yeerks second invasion of the galaxy. Usually, Cassie, you're right about your sense of right and wrong. But this time, it doesn't really seem to matter. Save millions or worry about the momentary…not even death…inconvenience of one. I say we do this.)

I looked at Cassie. (Look, at least acquire a Yeerk, Cassie. You don't have to use it, but it's going to be handy to have a range of morphs.)

She sighed. (Okay.)

That was it from her. Nothing more, nothing less. Not like she could have gotten much less than that. But, it was kind of disheartening. Cassie had gotten kind of annoying and crazed at the end of the War about how to fight and what was right and wrong. She lost the blue box, she never forgave herself for Jake's downward spiral into depression, and no doubt she was blaming herself for the whole situation we were in. Sometimes, she really grated my last nerve, but I actually felt sorry for the kind of emotions she must have been going through. But, I didn't really have time to sort through them.  


I kind of hoped that Tobias would talk to her later. I wasn't good with emotions and he would probably say things nicer and more tactfully done than I would.

Meanwhile, I opened the door to the back of the ship. (Okay, then…let's…acquire some new morphs.)

Frank said, "I'll stay up here and fly. You guys go do your thing and save the world."

I walked through the door, but looked back and said sardonically, (You know, by the time we're done, we'll have saved Earth, the Kelbrid planet, the Andalite planet, and whatever planet the Yeerks are congregating around. And we've done all of this within a day of me coming _back _to life after dying. Tell you what, when this is all said and done, don't even thank me. Just give me a small, freakin' vacation.)


End file.
